The internet went berserk on Sunday after a video of the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, kissing a minor boy and asking him to suck his tongue was widely circulated on social media.

The 87-year-old Buddhist monk has now released a statement and said he wishes to apologise to the boy and his family and everyone whose sentiments he hurt through the video. The statement clarified the monk often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras and he regrets the incident.

In the viral video, Dalai Lama was seen kissing the lips of a minor boy. He further asked the boy to suck his tongue which sparked social media outrage. The internet felt disgusted and tagged the monk as a paedophile. Many also demanded his arrest given his previous controversies.

For the unversed, the spiritual leader, who lives as a refugee in India, triggered a massive outrage on social media in 2019 during an interview with British Broadcaster (BBC) from the Nobel Peace Price winner’s exile in Dharamsala. He mentioned his stand from 2015 saying if his successor is a woman, she must be very attractive otherwise not much use.

Tenzin Gyatso is considered a living Bodhisattva and is serving as the leader and a monk of the Gelug school, the newest school of Tibetan Buddhism. Since the early 1970s, the Dalai Lama works for the welfare of Tibetans with the Middle Way Approach with neighbouring China to resolve the Tibet issue peacefully.

A London-bound Air India flight returned to Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport on Monday after a mid-air brawl between an unruly passenger and the flight’s cabin crew, reports said.

According to reports, a mid-air brawl ensued between a passenger and crew members on a Delhi-London Air India flight, shortly after it departed from the IGI airport in Delhi at 6:35 am. The onboard ruckus forced the plane to turn around and return to Delhi again where the raucous passenger was deboarded and handed over to the police at the airport.

The airliner, which was recently acquired by the Tata Group, said the flight then took off for its scheduled route to London from Delhi airport.

In a statement, Air India said that on April 10, the Delhi-London AI-111 flight returned back to Delhi, shortly after departure, “due to the serious unruly behaviour of a passenger on board.”

The airline said the passenger did not heed repeated verbal and written warnings from the crew and continued with disorderly behavior and resorted to physical assault in which two cabin crew members received physical harm.

Read Also: Clashes in Jharkhand’s Jamshedpur after Ram Navami flag desecrated, Section 144 imposed

It said that following the incident, the onboard crew informed the Delhi Airport Police and the pilot in command decided return to Delhi where the passenger was handed over to the security personnel upon landing, adding that an FIR under relevant sections of the law has been registered against the erring passenger.

The airline further stated that all possible support is being provided to affected crew members and asserted that the safety, security and dignity of all on board is important to Air India.

Air India also apologized to the passenger on the affected Delhi-London flight for the delay and inconvenience caused to them due to the incident and assured that efforts will be made to ensure such incidents do not occur in the future.

Union Minister Bisheswar Tudu says officers appointed through UPSC are dacoits

Bajrang Dal leader who masterminded Bihar Ram Navami violence surrenders, riots were planned on WhatsApp group: Police

Violent clashes erupted between two groups after a Ram Navami flag was allegedly desecrated in Shastrinagar area of Jharkhand’s Jamshedpur district on late Sunday evening, police said today, adding that prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC have been imposed to prevent any flare up.

A senior official said that on Sunday evening, a religious flag was allegedly desecrated by some miscreants which led to a clash between two groups which soon escalated as the warring sides pelted stones at each other and resorted to arson.

Sub-Divisional Officer (Dhalbhum), Piyush Sinha said that two shops and an autorickshaw was set afire by the rioters and the police had to resort to firing tear smoke shells to disperse them, adding that prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC have been imposed in the area to prevent any untoward incident.

The senior officer said that tensions had been brewing in the area since Saturday night when a piece of meat was found tagged to a Ram Navami flag and the situation took a turn for the worse on Sunday evening when was shop was torched, allegedly by the other group, in response to the desecration, leading to brick-batting by both groups.

In a statement, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Prabhat Kumar said that additional forces have been deployed in strength to maintain law and order in Shashtrinagar area and the situation has been brought under control, adding that both sides have been dispersed and some people have also been detained in connection with the incident.

Read Also: Bajrang Dal leader who masterminded Bihar Ram Navami violence surrenders, riots were planned on WhatsApp group: Police

The senior officer said that the riot police conducted a flag march in the Shastrinagar area today morning.

East Singhbhum District Deputy Commissioner Vijaya Jadhav urged citizens to not let anti-social elements to disturb communal harmony in the region.

She said that adequate police force, a Quick Response Team, a magistrate, Rapid Action Force personnel and other anti-riot resources have been deployed to maintain law and order.

Union Minister Bisheswar Tudu says officers appointed through UPSC are dacoits

India reports 5,880 fresh Covid-19 cases, 14 fatalities, check statewise list