Rampur/Shimla, Apr 21 (PTI) Local people and monks in Kinnaur district's Nako held a rally on Friday to protest a "malicious propaganda" unleashed against the Dalai Lama over a video which was shared on social media recently.

Representatives of the local panchayat, Mahila Mandal and the Yuvak Mandal took part in the demonstration held in the vicinity of the Nako monastery.

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Ward member Shanta Kumar Negi, who led the protest, said it was held to express solidarity against the "trolling" of the Tibetan spiritual leader in the past few days by some news channels, news websites and social networking sites.

On April 10 last, the Dalai Lama apologised to a boy, his family and friends for the "hurt his words may have caused", after a video clip purportedly showing the Tibetan spiritual head asking him to suck his tongue sparked a row.

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In the two-minute-five-second video, the Dalai Lama also asked the child "to look at those good human beings who create peace, and happiness and not follow those who kill other people".

In a statement, the Tibetan spiritual head's office said, "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."

The protesters alleged some news channels and websites were trying to malign the image of the Dalai Lama and announced to organise protests in every village of the Hangrang Valley on April 26.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)