Fernandes demands public apology from US for Kalam frisking

Former Defence Minister George Fernandes has demanded a public apology from the United States in the wake of reports that a US airline recently subjected former president A P J Abdul Kalam to a physical search at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Fernandes said in a statement here on Tuesday that it was ironic that while “India hosts Hillary Clinton like a visiting queen and provides massive security to protect her,” a US airline (Continental Airlines) had “subjected our greatly loved and respected former president Abdul Kalam to a humiliating security check.” Fernandes recalled that he was subjected to similar treatment when he was travelling to the US as India’s Defence Minister. He said,“While Indians are expected to take such insults graciously,and I believe that VIPs must not expect special privileges,in the case of someone with the stature and credentials of Kalam,the US administration should publicly apologise to India for their crass and disrespectful behaviour.”

He said,“To presume that Kalam could be a security threat in the era of terrorism is to make a mockery of the fight against terror and to add grist to the mill of terrorists.”

Fernandes was put through a physical search at Washington’s Dulles Airport in June 2003. PTI