Leno sued for libeling the Sikhs

Golden Temple of Amritsar

The other day, I blogged about the fact that innocuous, bland, silly Jay Leno had come under fire in India for making a joke that saw Romney vacationing in a golden palace — with the palace his staff selected just happening to be a famous Sikh temple in India.  The fact that the joke had nothing to do with Sikhs and everything to do with Romney was irrelevant.  The Sikhs suddenly added themselves to the roster of “Religions of Perpetual Outrage.”

To date, this newest entrant to the Religion of Perpetual Outrage roster hasn’t resulted in actual bloodshed, but it has triggered a lawsuit:

Dr. Randeep Dhillon of Bakersfield filed the suit today in Los Angeles Superior Court. On behalf of himself and what Dhillon called Bol Punjabi All Regions Community Organization, the suit charges that the broadcast was libelous on its face and exposed Sikhs and their religion to hatred, contempt and ridicule because it portrayed the holiest place in the Sikh religion as a vacation resort owned by a non-Sikh. The suit charges that Leno’s use of the photo of the temple was intentional, deliberately false and “hurt the sentiments of all Sikh people in addition to those of the plaintiff.” The suit seeks general, special and punitive damages as well as court costs.

Jay Leno (Image by Michael Albov)

They say that a conservative is a liberal who has been mugged by reality.  Perhaps being thrown into the deep end of the political correctness swamp will force Jay Leno to revisit some of the liberal perceptions that color his life and humor.

(Hat tip:  A friend.)