ISSUE
Friday, August 15, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 72
New Delhi: After Indian Ambassador to US Meera Shankar’s ‘pat down’ at an US airport, another Indian diplomat has been subjected to frisking by US airport authorities, reports said on Monday.
India’s permanent representative to the UN Hardeep Puri was held at a Texas airport for more than 30 minutes and his turban forcibly searched.
The incident came despite the airport authorities being told of Puri’s diplomatic status.
On Dec 4, Shankar was pulled out of a security line and patted down by a security official at Jackson airport in Mississippi for a screening despite she had passed through the metal frame without setting off an alarm.
The diplomat, who was traveling from Mississippi to Baltimore in Maryland, was then frisked, though she revealed her status.
Indian embassy officials said Shankar was singled out for her sari, a common dress for Indian women.
The incident had evoked strong response from India, with External Affairs minister SM Krishna terming it as ‘unacceptable’.
“This is unacceptable to India and we are going to take it up with the government of the United States and I hope that things could be resolved so that unpleasant incidents do not recur," Krishna said.
The US has regretted the patting on Shankar, saying it would review its policies and get back to India's concern over the incident.
“We obviously are concerned about it,” said US secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
New Delhi: After Indian Ambassador to US Meera Shankar’s ‘pat down’ at an US airport, another Indian diplomat has been subjected to frisking by US airport authorities, reports said on Monday. India’s permanent representative to the UN Hardeep Puri was held at a Texas airport for more than 30...
New Delhi: After Indian Ambassador to US Meera Shankar’s ‘pat down’ at an US airport, another Indian diplomat has been subjected to frisking by US airport authorities, reports said on Monday.
India’s permanent representative to the UN Hardeep Puri was held at a Texas airport for more than 30 minutes and his turban forcibly searched.
The incident came despite the airport authorities being told of Puri’s diplomatic status.
On Dec 4, Shankar was pulled out of a security line and patted down by a security official at Jackson airport in Mississippi for a screening despite she had passed through the metal frame without setting off an alarm.
The diplomat, who was traveling from Mississippi to Baltimore in Maryland, was then frisked, though she revealed her status.
Indian embassy officials said Shankar was singled out for her sari, a common dress for Indian women.
The incident had evoked strong response from India, with External Affairs minister SM Krishna terming it as ‘unacceptable’.
“This is unacceptable to India and we are going to take it up with the government of the United States and I hope that things could be resolved so that unpleasant incidents do not recur," Krishna said.
The US has regretted the patting on Shankar, saying it would review its policies and get back to India's concern over the incident.
“We obviously are concerned about it,” said US secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
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