Jay Leno's Joke on Romney's Wealth Ignites Religious Firestorm Among...Sikhs?

Sometimes jokes go too far. Other times, people simply can't take them in stride. We won't tell you which side to err on in the spat that has unfolded between late-night comedian Jay Leno and India's Sikh community. But we will bring you the facts. What started out as a joke about GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney's riches has ended with members of the religious group calling for Leno to apologize.

The "Tonight Show" host caused offense last week when he held up a picture of the Golden Temple, the holiest site in the Sikh religion. Of course, it wasn't simply Leno's showcasing of the image that was problematic. Politico has more regarding how the skit unfolded:

After unveiling pictures of Newt Gingrich’s estate in Virginia and Ron Paul’s ranch house in Texas, the comedian purported to show a photograph of Romney’s summer home on Lake Winnipesaukee but flashed an image of the famous golden shrine located in Punjab, India, instead.

Clearly, the antic was meant to poke fun at the contender's wealth, which has come under scrutiny in recent weeks.

Watch Leno's parody, below:

But in an effort that what was likely intended to output political -- not religious -- humor, the joke has gone over quite badly. Dalbeg Singh, a top Sikh leader, said Tuesday that community leaders would seek an apology from Leno. The offense was apparently so grave that India's foreign ministry apparently brought it to U.S. authorities.

According to a top official with the external affairs ministry, a formal complaint was filed with the U.S. State Department. Another complaint was sent to NBC, the network that airs the evening program.

And the protest is also raging online, as thousands of individuals have also signed a petition that rails against Leno's purported racism. It reads, in part:

This is not the first time that this show host has targeted Sikhs in his monologue. Previously, in 2007 he called Sikhs ‘diaper heads.’ In 2010, he remarked, falsely so, in his monologue that President Obama could not visit Sri Darbar Sahib because of requirements of wearing a turban. Clearly, Jay Leno’s racist comments need to be stopped right here.

There's also a Facebook page called "Boycott Jay Leno," with over 3,200 people signed on as members.

But not everyone was offended. Suhel Seth, a prominent media commentator in India, said that the government was wasting time complaining over a mere joke, while not taking on more important issues.

"Jay Leno is a comedian, take him with a pinch of salt," he said. "But our politicians do not want to address real issues, like getting clean water to people. They would rather talk about silly issues."

On Monday, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland also defended Leno's comments.

"I hope (Leno will) be appreciative if we make the point that his comments are constitutionally protected in the United States under free speech and, frankly, they appeared to be satirical in nature," she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.