Shah Rukh a welcome guest: U.S. envoy

New Delhi: Even as there were sharp reactions in India to the detention of Shah Rukh Khan for two hours at the Newark airport on Saturday, U.S. envoy Timothy J. Roemer said the actor “is a very welcome guest in the United States.”
“We are trying to ascertain the facts of the case to understand what took place,” he said soon after India took up the matter with the U.S. Embassy here.
Mr. Roemer regarded the Bollywood actor as a global icon. He heaped praises on Mr. Khan, saying many Americans loved his movies.
Earlier, the External Affairs Ministry took up the matter with the U.S. Embassy. Its spokesman said the U.S. Embassy was ascertaining the circumstances which led to the detention of Mr. Khan and that the Consul-General of India in New York was in touch with the actor.
Reacting sharply, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said such incidents recurred with disconcerting frequency and called for returning the compliments.
Stating that she too had been frisked, Ms. Soni underscored the need to “pay back in the same coin” as the number of such instances was on the rise and frisking was beyond permissible limits.
Choreographer-director Farah Khan asked: “If he can be discriminated [on the basis of religion], who else is left. Shah Rukh was on the Time magazine’s 50 Most Influential People list. It is not only discrimination but lack of knowledge also.”
16/08/09 PTI/The Hindu

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: Airports Aug 2009, Foreign Aug 2009