Related News
Indian FM to protest pat down of diplomat
Source: Agencies |
December 10, 2010, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
INDIA'S foreign minister said yesterday it was unacceptable that the country's ambassador to the United States was patted down by a security agent at a Mississippi airport, and said he would complain to Washington.
The ambassador, Meera Shankar, was returning from giving a speech at Mississippi State University last week when she was pulled out of line at the airport and given a pat down by a female Transportation Security Administration agent.
The Clarion-Ledger newspaper of Jackson, Mississippi, quoted witnesses as saying Shankar, who was wearing a sari, was told she was singled out for additional screening because of her dress.
Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna said this was the second time the ambassador had been singled out for a pat down in the past three months.
"Let me be very frank that this is unacceptable to India," he said. "We are going to take it up with the government of United States, and I hope that things could be resolved so that such unpleasant incidents do not recur."
A TSA spokesman said diplomats were not exempt from the searches, and that bulky clothing could prompt a pat down.
Karan Singh, a former Indian ambassador to the US, said if Shankar was singled out because of her clothing, the incident needs to be condemned. "I think she deserves an apology," he said.
While the TSA has garnered criticism for its new security measures, including body scanners and pat downs, the controversy is especially emotive in India, where issues of modesty and status often collide with increasingly stringent airport security.
The ambassador, Meera Shankar, was returning from giving a speech at Mississippi State University last week when she was pulled out of line at the airport and given a pat down by a female Transportation Security Administration agent.
The Clarion-Ledger newspaper of Jackson, Mississippi, quoted witnesses as saying Shankar, who was wearing a sari, was told she was singled out for additional screening because of her dress.
Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna said this was the second time the ambassador had been singled out for a pat down in the past three months.
"Let me be very frank that this is unacceptable to India," he said. "We are going to take it up with the government of United States, and I hope that things could be resolved so that such unpleasant incidents do not recur."
A TSA spokesman said diplomats were not exempt from the searches, and that bulky clothing could prompt a pat down.
Karan Singh, a former Indian ambassador to the US, said if Shankar was singled out because of her clothing, the incident needs to be condemned. "I think she deserves an apology," he said.
While the TSA has garnered criticism for its new security measures, including body scanners and pat downs, the controversy is especially emotive in India, where issues of modesty and status often collide with increasingly stringent airport security.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
