Soon after India’s ambassador to the US Meera Shankar was subject to a “pat-down” body search at an American airport, it was disclosed on Monday that security personnel at another airport in the US had recently asked another top Indian diplomat to remove his turban before boarding a plane.
India’s permanent representative at the United Nations, Mr Hardeep Puri, was asked by security officers at Houston airport two weeks ago to remove his turban for checking, but he refused to do so, saying that he would check his own turban, which was permitted under the rules.
When Mr Puri refused to remove his turban, officials kept him waiting for over half an hour in a “holding room” at the airport. The matter could be resolved only after a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) official accompanying him intervened.
India has lodged a strong protest with the American authorities through the consulate-general in Houston, sources in New Delhi said. “I have taken it up with the US authorities and the matter is at that stage. US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has also give an indication that they (will) revisit some of these procedures, particularly with reference to the diplomatic cover of other countries,” external affairs minister S.M. Krishna said in New Delhi.
Reports of the incident sparked outrage across Punjab, with politicians of all parties expressing anger at the “insult” shown to the senior Sikh diplomat in the United States. Deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal shot off a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding that he take the matter up with US President Barack Obama.
Mr Puri, meanwhile, told news agencies in the US that he had not actually been “patted down” in the security check and had not allowed the removal of his turban. But he confirmed that Houston airport security officials had asked to check his turban. Mr Puri then told the guards he was aware of a new rule which allowed him to check his own turban, after which the guards could swipe his hands to check for any metal traces.
“I said I would comply with the procedures, but did not allow them to touch my turban. The guard there was unaware of the new procedures, so I told him to go check with his superior officer,” Mr Puri said. This took 20 to 25 minutes, during which Mr Puri was forced to wait.
When the official returned, he acknowledged that there was indeed such a provision and Mr Puri could check his own turban. “The important thing here is that I did not let them touch my turban.” When Mr Puri went through the scanner again, there was no beep.