New Delhi, July 24: An FIR has been registered against officials of Continental Airlines who were involved in the frisking of former President APJ Abdul Kalam here on Friday.
The four people named in the FIR include airlines’ India head Laurent Recoura, security in-charge Jaideep, station manager Allen Field and area security manager Cynthia. There was a meeting between the officials and the Civil Aviation Ministry in this regard but nothing came of it.
Meanwhile, cutting across party lines, leaders reacted sharply to the US Transportation Security Administration’s statement that frisking of former President Abdul Kalam was “in compliance” with American regulatory requirements.
BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy wondered “whether such things are happening due to the ‘kneel down before US’ policy of the UPA government”.
“Government should give a thorough reply on this matter. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will have to give a clarification on the issue,” the former civil aviation minister said.
Terming the incident of Kalam being frisked by staff of a US airlines as “sad”, NCP MP Supria Sule said,” there is a protocol and airlines have to follow the guidelines enforced by the operating country”.
Congress MP JP Agrawal said, “If it (following protocol in frisking) is not in their (US) law, they should bring amendments into it.”
Rajya Sabha member from Congress Rajiv Shukla, however said, “the civil aviation ministry is competent to take whatever action is required. Let us leave it to them. They have already lodged an FIR.”
Earlier, the US body had argued that TSA requires all passengers and their accessible property to be screened for any goods listed on the prohibited items list.
Kalam refuses comment
“Well, you know it was discussed in Parliament …I don’t have much comment beyond that,” he told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram today.
Asked about the apology tendered by the airlines, he said, “I am just moving from Bangladesh to this place. So I have not received it”.
If we stop flying the foreign airlines, what airlines will we fly? certainly not Air India. I have travelled with them and they treat us Indians like trash. What is wrong with going through security? If the VIPs do not want to go thru security, why don`t they fly on private aircraft? I don`t think president Kalam made a big deal of it. It is only the status hungry politicians (who think thay are
–Agencies