AMRITSAR: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief secretary Harcharan Singh on Sunday honoured Kathleen Wynne , the first gay premier of Canada’s Ontario state, away from the media glare in a room of the information centre in the basement of the Golden Temple . Wynne also paid obeisance at the gurdwara, participated in cooking food at the ‘langar’ and did a ‘parikarma’ (circumambulation).The SGPC’s decision to honour the Ontario premier had created a controversy since she supports same-sex marriages — which are opposed by the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs.Sources said the SGPC honoured her with a siropa (robe of honour), a model of the Golden Temple and religious literature. But the siropa was not bestowed upon her in the sanctum sanctorum of the gurdwara.Pictures released by an associate of Wynne showed her with a siropa. But Harcharan Singh avoided giving a direct reply on whether a siropa was bestowed upon Wynne or not. “She has been honoured and why shouldn’t she be honoured,” he said.About her sexual orientation and the Akal Takht edict against gay marriages, he said the edict was for Sikhs whereas she was a Christian. He said the honour was bestowed upon her on the directions of SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar. He said Wynne had arrived here to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple and it was their duty to honour her. Harcharan Singh said she was given a gift, a model of the Golden Temple and literature. “If you think the gift is a siropa, it’s up to you,” he said. The chief secretary said they had a 15-minute discussion with Wynne about issues related to Sikhs.