Pakistan Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Sham Singh surprised many when he touched the feet of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar during the latter's visit to Gurdwara Dera Sahib on Thursday. "You are from the place (Patna) where Guru Gobind Singh was born," Sham Singh told Kumar after his gesture. He said Patna was as holy as Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion.

"I would show the same respect to an ordinary person from Patna," Sham Singh said while talking to PTI. He also presented a siropa to Kumar.

Earlier, officials of the Pakistan Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) welcomed Kumar on his arrival at Gurdwara Dera Sahib.

Kumar stayed at the gurdwara for 20 minutes and spoke to ETPB chairman Asif Hashmi about the upkeep of Sikh shrines and Hindu temples in Pakistan. The ETPB is responsible for managing all shrines of Pakistan's minority communities.

Kumar also visited Badshahi mosque, the shrine of poet Allama Iqbal and the historic shrine of Ali Hajvari or Data Sahib, the patron saint of Lahore.