Spiritual leader of Tibet Dalai Lama has apologised to the boy for "kissing" and asking him to "suck his tongue" after a video showing the incident sparked outrage, media reports said.

Dalai Lama's official Twitter page tweeted a statement which reads, "A video clip has been circulating that shows a recent meeting when a young boy asked His Holiness the Dalai Lama if he could give him a hug.

"His Holiness wishes to apologise to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused. His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident."

In the video which went viral on social media, Dalai Lama was seen sticking out his tongue and asking the boy to suck it.

The video had sparked outrage among netizens who had slammed the incident.

In 2019, Dalai Lama courted a row by saying if his successor was to be a woman, she should be "more attractive".