The Dalai Lama's office says he offers his apology over a viral video showing the Tibetan spiritual leader kissing a boy on the lips.

Indian media outlets said the video was shot at a Buddhist gathering, where the boy reportedly asked the Dalai Lama to hug him. It shows the spiritual leader kissing the boy and sticking out his tongue and apparently encouraging him to suck it.

It is unclear when and where the footage was taken. The video clip has sparked a wave of online criticism.

The office said in a statement on Monday that the leader "wishes to apologize to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused."

It added that the Dalai Lama "often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras."

The Dalai Lama established a government-in-exile in northern India, where he fled after an uprising against Chinese rule failed in 1959.

In 2019, the leader came under fire after he made comments involving the possibility of a woman succeeding him during an interview with British broadcaster BBC. He later apologized.