New Delhi, July 21: Shocked by the treatment meted out to former president APJ Abdul Kalam – who was frisked and even asked to remove his shoes during security checks by Continental Airlines at the IGI airport in New Delhi – the government has now decided to file an FIR against the US-based airliner.
The FIR would be lodged by country’s nodal agency on air security, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) under the Aircraft Act.
As per reports, the case would be registered under Section 11 (A) of the Act for wilfully violating airport circular.
If convicted, the section carries a prison term of six months for the staff involved and/or a fine of Rs 10 lakhs.
The government’s decision to file an FIR, apparently, came in the wake of the continued reluctance by the airline to apologise for the clear breach of protocol and treating a person of eminence like Dr Kalam as a commoner.
The government had earlier in the day issued a show cause notice to the airline for the breach of protocol.
Continental Ai8rlines, in a press release, reiterated that it has done no wrong as its staff was only following the standard US security procedures and that no exemptions were allowed in such procedures.
The release also added that Abdul Kalam was not offended in any way.
However, it seems the airliner is forgetting the fact that the incident involves a former Indian president that too on Indian soil.
The Opposition too is gunning for the US airliner, with the incident causing uproarious scenes in the Rajya Sabha. The BJP has demanded that the airliner be banned from Indian skies if it can’t follow Indian rules, while the Left has indicated bias towards Kalam, possibly due to his surname.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel is also taking the matter very seriously and has assured strict action against Continental. He has also said that he will go and meet Kalam and apologise to him personally.
–Agencies