India to take SRK detention issue strongly with US

BIKANER: India will "strongly" take up with the US the issue of detention of Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan at an American airport, civil aviation minister Praful Patel said on Sunday, asserting that such incidents were unacceptable.

"We will take the issue with the United States government strongly. Such incidents involving Indians due to their religion or nationality should not happen... we will not accept it," Patel told reporters here.

Khan was detained for two hours at Newark airport by immigration officials after his name matched with some names on a common checklist, sparking angry reactions in India.

Driving straight to the venue of a function at the luxury Trump Taj Mahal hotel in Atlantic City in tattered jeans, a white T-shirt, a brownish coat and a muffler since his baggage was yet to arrive, Khan told the audience that "I was treated shabbily just because I happened to have Khan as my last name."



Profusely apologising to his fans for arriving two hours late at the casino city of New Jersey for yesterday's function, 'King' Khan stunned the large number of Indian-Americans when he told them that he does not feel like stepping on the American soil any more, but it is the love and affection of millions of his fans in the US which would bring him to this country again and again.

He was released following the intervention of Indian Consulate officials.

The Bollywood actor was in the US to take part in the South Asian Carnival on the occasion of India's Independence Day. Khan had yesterday termed the incident as "uncalled for".