The former head of state Mr. APJ Abdul Kalam was in US. For attending some conference and the incident took place when he was returning to home. The US officials forced the Indian airlines officials to open the door of the air craft.  The officials wanted to re-check India’s former president of having explosives after having scanned once and boarded the flight. The officials took a way his jacket and shoes for scanning.  The incident took place at New York’s JFK airport. It is not for the first time that president Kalam has been frisked. In April 2009, officials of America’s Continental Airlines frisked him at the Delhi airport.

Following this incident there has been hue and cry in India over the insult of the honorable ex-head of state of India. The foreign minister of India Mr. S.M. Krishna contacted with the Indian ambassador in US, Nirupama Rao and said her to carry this issue to the highest level in Washington.  The US embassy said Ambassador Peter Burleigh had personally delivered a letter from the US transportation security administration to Kalam, and a similar letter was delivered to the government of India.

In these letters, the US government extended its apology that appropriate procedures for expedited screening of dignitaries had not been followed. We are actively working to prevent similar incidents in the future, the statement said.

Maintaining that it deeply values and appreciates the strong relationship and partnership with India, the US said, We are confident that despite this regrettable incident, we will continue working closely with India in the many areas of our strategic partnership.

Frisking of president Kalam in US

Report by Abhishek Kumar