Kalam frisking:India to take up issue with US at highest level

Nov 13, 2011 |

New Delhi

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Outraged at former President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam being subjected to frisking for explosives at New York's J. F. K. Airport, India on Sunday threatened retaliatory action against US dignitaries unless such ‘unacceptable’ practices were stopped.

Read full report of incident

External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna spoke to Indian Ambassador to US Nirupama Rao and directed her to take up the matter in writing at the ‘highest level’ with Washington after it emerged that Kalam was frisked in New York on September 29 before boarding an Air India flight.

Even after Kalam was seated, the US security personnel forced the crew to open the door and took away the jacket and boots of the former president to check for explosives since they had forgotten to do so before his boarding.

Officials said the Minister has also sought a detailed report on the incident from its mission into the incident, which they said was unacceptable.

They further said that if this continues, there is a possibility of reciprocating as per diplomatic norms. This is not the first time that Kalam has been frisked by US aviation officials.

Kalam was frisked by officials of US airliner Continental Airlines in April, 2009 despite his name featuring in the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security's list of people exempt from security checks in India.

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