Add the leadership of India to the list of people who don’t think Jay Leno is very funny.
On the January 19 episode of “The Tonight Show,” Leno made a joke in his opening monologue that angered the Indian government and the Sikh community in the United States.
The jab was aimed at mocking Mitt Romney’s wealth.
“Here’s a look at Mitt Romney’s summer home on Lake Winnipesaukee,” a voiceover said during the episode. The photo was actually of the Golden Temple, one of the Sikh religion’s most sacred sites.
Nirupama Rao, the Indian ambassador to the U.S., plans to take up the matter with Washington authorities, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said that he and his constituents are upset by the joke.
“I wish this kind of thing is not shown by any media in the U.S.,” Ravi told the Wall Street Journal. “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 the Golden Temple.”