Jay Leno's Mitt Romney Joke Angers Members of the Sikh Community

Petition organized against the talk show host after he pokes fun at the Golden Temple of Amristar

By Peter Gicas Jan 23, 2012 7:15 PMTags

Maybe next time Jay Leno should simply show Mitt Romney's actual house.

During his monologue on Thursday, the Tonight Show host presented a clip from The Insider that included pics of the homes of presidential hopefuls Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul and Romney.

With one little tweak made by Leno's staff, that is.

Instead of revealing Romney's real summer home, the bit replaced the original shot with one of the Golden Temple of Amristar.

However, the joke didn't go over very well with several Sikhs, who view the site as a sacred place.

According to BBC News, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi told reporters that Leno's attempt at humor "is quite unfortunate and quite objectionable," pointing out that "freedom does not mean hurting the sentiments of others."

What's more, an online petition organized by members of the U.S. Sikh community claims this isn't the first time the talk show host has made such derogatory remarks against them.

"Jay Leno's racist comments need to be stopped right here," reads the petition.

No word yet from Leno himself on the matter.