A controversy has erupted after the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee chief secretary Harcharan Singh on Sunday honoured the first gay premier of Canada's Ontario state, Kathleen Wynne, during her visit to the Golden Temple, reported The Indian Express. The Premier’s office later released her photograph wearing a siropa (a robe of honour), which caused outrage since the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, is opposed to same-sex marriages.

While the photograph taken at committee's information office also has the SGPC's chief secretary in it, their publicity in-charge Indermohan Singh claimed no siropa was presented to Wynne and that he had no information about the said photograph. Mediapersons were not allowed to cover the visit, during which Wynne paid obeisance at the gurdwara, participated in cooking food at the langar and did a 'parikarma' (circumambulation).

The Ontario premiere, however, said that it was an inspiring day for her and that she was thrilled to be at the Golden Temple, reported The Times of India. "At least four times it was impressed upon me that there are four entrances to the Golden Temple. This is representative of the idea of equality, where anyone, regardless of who they are and what background they have, could come," she said.