Shah Rukh detention: Ambika Soni suggests tit for tat

NEW DELHI: After a string of incidents like the one involving Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who was detained at a US airport, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni on Saturday suggested that India should do a 'tit-for-tat' towards Americans.

"I am of the opinion that the way we are frisked, for example I too was frisked, we should also do the same to them," Soni said.

Many examples like this have come from the US where frisking is done and "beyond permissible limits", she said.

"I don't understand. In the name of religion, frisking can be done for anyone like this," an angry Soni said.



This was not the first time that a prominent Indian was subjected to security checks in the US or by an American enterprise.

George Fernandes, who was then Defence Minister, was forced by US security officials to remove his shirt and shoes and made to undergo check at an airport in Washington when he was there on an official visit a few years ago.

The most recent case was that of former president A P J Abdul Kalam, who was frisked by officials of Contintental Airlines at the international airport here before boarding a Newark-bound flight. This had led to a furore in India.

Actor Kamal Hasan had to undergo security checking at a US airport in 2002, soon after 9/11, with some officials becoming suspicious about him while Malayalam superstar Mammootty too was detained at the JFK airport recently because of his middle name 'Ismail Mohammed'.

Actor Irrfan Khan also faced a similar problem last year in US despite his global fame following the success of 'Slumdog Millionaire'.

Kabir Khan, Director of recent hit 'New York' which portrays victimisation of Muslims in post 9/11, was detained thrice while actor Neil Nitin Mukesh had to undergo similar drills.