Obama's Golden Temple visit dropped over headscarf

New Delhi, Oct 19: After the hype over Barack Obama's planned visit to the Golden Temple, it has now emerged that the US President has decided to skip Amritsar.

While some reports quote sources as saying that "logistical" issues have forced the cancellation of the US President's plans, others suggest that Obama's Amritsar visit was called off due to the dilemma over headscarf that the President would have to wear if he visited the Sikh holy spot.

The requirement of a headscarf turned into an issue for the US President as he, till today, continues to battle claims that he is a Muslim due to his middle name Hussain.

With advisors to Obama strictly against allowing any misinterpretation of that sort, the White House had reportedly conveyed the same to Indian authorities.

Barack Obama was expected to visit Golden Temple on Nov 7, after he lands and stays a day in Mumbai on Nov 6. Tight schedule is also one among the reasons speculated over the Amritsar cancellation as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reportedly planned to host a dinner for Obama on Nov 7.

OneIndia News