Dalai Lama found himself at the centre of a controversy after a video showed the Tibetan spiritual leader kissing a minor boy on his lips and then asking him to ‘suck his tongue’. The video, which has gone viral on social media platforms, has evoked a furious response from the netizens, reported India Today.

The video shows the Dalai Lama kissing the child on his lips as the latter leaned in to pay his respects. After a few second, the Tibetan spiritual leader can be seen pointing to his mouth and sticking his tongue out. “Can you suck my tongue,” the Dalai Lama can be heard asking the minor boy in the video.

The video has triggered a row, with netizens calling the spiritual leader’s behaviour “disgusting” and “creepy.”

Tibetan spiritual leader has now apologised for the incident and said that he “often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras.”

“Utterly shocked to see this display by the Dalai Lama. In the past, too, he’s had to apologize for his sexist comments. But saying – ‘Now suck my tongue’ to a small boy is disgusting,” a netizen tweeted.

Another user said, “What am I seeing? Is this the Dalai Lama? Needs to be arrested for pedophilia. Disgusting.”

“This is absolutely reprehensible behaviour by the Dalai Lama in full public view. It amounts to sexual misconduct and molestation. No child needs to be put in such a situation. Hope the authorities take cognizance. A case needs to be booked under POCSO,” another social media user tweeted.

This is not the first time the Dalai Lama has faced public backlash. A few years ago, the Dalai Lama’s remark that if his successor were to be a woman, she would have to be “attractive”, sparked a controversy. Tibetan spiritual leader had later issued an apology over his comment.