India protests detention of UP minister at Boston airport

Washington, April 26 (IANS) India has formally protested to the US over the brief detention of Uttar Pradesh Urban Development Minister Mohammad Azam Khan at Boston airport as he arrived to take part in an event at Harvard University.

Khan, who is accompanying State Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for the presentation of a Harvard study on the Kumbh Mela pilgrimage, was detained for about 10 minutes for "further questioning" at Boston Logan International Airport Wednesday, according to Indian officials.

Once the visitors were cleared for entry by immigration, a woman officer of the US Customs and Border Protection wing of the Homeland Security took Khan to an adjacent room "for further questioning," sources said.

Incensed, Khan is reported to have kicked up a ruckus in the Imigration area saying he was detained because he was a Muslim and sought an apology from the officer who merely said she was doing her duty. As arguments became heated, officials from the Indian consulate in New York intervened and Khan was escorted out of the airport.

In Washington, Indian embassy spokesman M. Sridharan said the mission has "taken up the issue with the State Department officially and we have conveyed our serious concern."

"We have asked them to intervene and take appropriate measures to avoid recurrence in the future."

At the State Department, when asked to comment on the incident, spokesman Patrick Ventrell said he was "not aware of the specifics of this case" as the Department of Homeland Security has jurisdiction over airport movements inside the US.

But "I do want to underscore that we have a very important bilateral relationship with India and a very robust and thorough diplomatic exchange with our partners, he said. "We very much value our partnership with the Government of India."

The Azam Khan case is the latest instance of Indian VIPs being detained at US airports. Last year, Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan was detained for over two hours by immigration officials at a New York airport.

Former President A P J Abdul Kalam was twice subjected to frisking at New York's JFK Airport by US security officials. India's then ambassador to the US Meera Shanker was patted down by a security agent in Mississippi in December 2010.

I don't understand why we Indians are becoming so touchy on being questioned for just 10 minutes.

The US staff at the airport are just doing their duty which they have been instructed to do after 9/11 and see the effect.

Since 9/11/2001, ie twelve and half years, they have not had a repeat terrorist strike until a few days ago in Boston. That is just because of the strong security measures they had taken.

The Boston episode too would not have occurred if they had taken the warning from Russia seriously. However, they thought Russia was just fooling them.

Contrast that with India, where we have had countless bomb blasts all over India since 26/11/2008, just because of our lax security.

People all over the world now know that if you have a Muslim sounding name, the USA is going to be extra careful while allowing you to enter their country.

If our ministers and movie stars are so allergic to being questioned why don't they ask our foreign ministry to inform in advance the US airport where they propose to land.

The ministry could send them the photographs and other details which the US may ask so that they can be cleared fast.

However, if they want to be treated like the general public then they should ask and convince their brethren all over the world to give up terrorist activities.