White House disputes reports on India temple

WASHINGTON: The White House is disputing speculation that President Barack Obama is avoiding an Indian temple so he will not have to wear a head covering that could fan misconceptions he is a Muslim.

Ben Rhodes, a White House deputy national security adviser, says a stop at India's Golden Temple didn't end up fitting into the schedule for Obama's four-country Asia trip that starts next week.

White House advance teams visited the Sikh temple, a popular tourist stop in India. When it did not end up on the schedule, rumors surfaced that Obama wanted to avoid being seen with a head covering connected with a non-Christian religion.

When asked Wednesday if that theory was wrong, Rhodes said that it was.

Obama is Christian but polls show some in the US think he's Muslim.