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