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Penpa Tsering: Tibet leader defends Dalai Lama after 'suck my tongue' scandal, says he's been 'unfairly labeled'

Penpa Tsering claimed that Dalai Lama had been 'unfairly labeled with all kinds of names that really hurt the sentiment of all his followers'

DHARAMSALA, INDIA: Dalai Lama was only showing his "innocent grandfatherly affectionate demeanor" in the video where he asked a young boy to suck his tongue, said the head of Tibet's government-in-exile. Penpa Tsering, 56, the political leader of the exiled Central Tibetan Administration, made the outrageous claim on Thursday, April 13, 2023, claiming that the spiritual leader had been "unfairly labeled with all kinds of names that really hurt the sentiment of all his followers".

Earlier this week, the religious leader apologized after the video went viral in which he can also be seen apparently giving the boy a peck on the lips. Tsering told reporters in New Delhi, India, that the 87-year-old's demeanor, as shown in the footage, had been misinterpreted. He added that a life of celibacy and spiritual practice had taken the Dalai Lama "beyond the sensorial pleasures". The video clip has been viewed more than one million times on Twitter.

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"Pro-Chinese sources were involved"

According to Daily Mail, Tsering said investigations showed that "pro-Chinese sources" were involved in making the video go viral, adding that "the political angle of this incident cannot be ignored". The footage showed the moment when the Tibetan spiritual leader invited the boy on stage during a charity event at his temple in Dharamshala, northern India, in February.

The boy asks the Dalai Lama, "Can I hug you?" in the video to which Tenzin Gyatso responds, "Okay - come!" Before pointing at his lips, Dalai Lama first asked the boy to kiss him on the cheek. He held the boy's face as they appeared to briefly kiss, then the pair pressed their foreheads together. The spiritual leader then asked him, "And suck my tongue", prompting him to slowly inch forward towards his outstretched tongue without making any connection.

Attendees of the event that was held by India's M3M Foundation can be heard laughing in the video as the boy sat awkwardly in front of the aged Tibetan Buddhist leader and nervously followed his orders. Dalai Lama imparted some wisdom before letting the child go. He said, "Look to those good human beings who create peace, happiness" and not "follow those human beings who always kill other people."

"Nothing unfairly about it!"

Twitter users also lashed out at Tsering after he defended the spiritual leader's actions. One user asked, "How does one “unfairly label” a person in a position of power asking a less powerful person to perform an act which they clearly visibly uncomfortable performing?"

Another wrote, "No. Nope. Not unfair at all. Gross, gross, GROSS. How many other kids has he forced to do this?" One tweeted, "That was one of the wildest things I've seen on public tv."

Another opined, "What is the point of defending? the more people defend the more it will become bigger. A Buddhist monk should train them self to restrain earthly attachment that is including physical desire, in that aspect he is already in fault and nothing more need to add." "I’m sorry but what he did was wrong. His Holiness, yeah right." said another user. 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.