Amritsar: Premier of Canada's Ontario province, Kathleen Wynne offered her prayers at the holiest of Sikh shrines Harmandar Sahib, and was honoured by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. Dressed in a turquoise coloured suit with her head covered with a dupatta, she was accompanied by SGPC officials as she entered the Golden Temple.
Kathleen's visit was surrounded by controversy as the SGPC took a stand on not to honour her with a siropa, due to her support to the gay community, same sex marriages, and her own sexual orientation. SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar had earlier said that the Canadian leader was welcome to offer prayers at the shrine but would not be honoured with a siropa due to her views on same sex marriages. The SGPC maintained that the Sikh religion did not legitimise same sex marriages. They however, welcomed her, escorted her to the SGPC information office and presented her with a gold-plated photo of the holy shrine.
She was escorted to the sanctum sanctorum and was shown all the important areas of the shrine. She even visited the Langar Hall and briefly helped in cooking food. In the visitors' book, she said she was humbled to visit the “beautiful sacred place”.
