Washington: India has strongly "objected" to
the remark on the Golden Temple by popular US television host
Jay Leno, terming it "quite unfortunate".
Leno, the host of the popular "The Tonight Show" on NBC
channel, flashed a picture of the Golden Temple, the holiest
Sikh shrine, in Amritsar on his programme and termed it as a
possible summer home of Republican presidential candidate Mitt
Romney.
The visiting NRI Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi on Sunday
"objected" to the remark and said he has directed Indian
Ambassador to the US Nirupama Rao to take up the matter with
the State Department.
"It is quite unfortunate and quite objectionable that
such a comment has been made after showing the...Golden
Temple," Ravi told a group of Indian reporters.
"Golden Temple is Sikh community's most sacred place.
Even our Prime Minister went there for praying in the New
Year. I believe that the person who has shown is not that
ignorant. The American government should also look at this
kind of thing," the NRI Affairs Minister said.
"I wish this kind of thing is not shown by any media in
the US," Ravi said, adding that he has not seen the show
personally and has heard about it from the Sikh community.
"Freedom does not mean hurt the sentiments of others...
This is not acceptable to us and we take a very strong
objection for such a display of an important place like Golden
Temple," Ravi said.
"The Embassy is fully aware of it and they will take it
up," he said.
The comment on Leno's January 19 show has resulted in an
outrage in the small but strong Sikh community here. They have
launched an online petition against Leno and have started a
Face Book page to express their anger against him.
Jay Leno himself was not immediately available for
comment.
PTI
First Published: Monday, January 23, 2012, 11:09