Kalam gets angry, protests insult

Former President A P J Abdul Kalam was humiliated by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at the Bangalore International Airport (BIA) on Saturday evening when they brushed aside his protests and made his private secretary go through the normal security procedures.
The former president cum country’s top-notch scientist had to wait for a few minutes for his secretary, who was carrying confidential documents, to join him.
Kalam arrived in Bangalore from New Delhi by an Indigo flight (No 6E77) at 5:50 pm and was accompanied by his secretary.
The CISF personnel allowed the former president to get off the aircraft and board the waiting car, but refused to allow his secretary, who was carrying some important documents, to escort him.
The CISF personnel instructed Kalam’s secretary to take the route that is taken by ordinary passengers to exit the airport.
It was at this juncture, the airport sources told Bangalore Mirror, that Kalam intervened. He asked the CISF personnel, who were being led by an assistant commandant, to allow his secretary to go along with him. But the CISF refused citing instructions. A visibly annoyed Kalam reportedly asked, “Why are you doing this to me? I have travelled throughout India and nowhere have they told me I cannot take my secretary along.”
The assistant commandant replied that the instructions had come from the home ministry in the backdrop of the mounting security threats. For that Kalam retorted, “How can my secretary become my threat at the airport when he is with me throughout the day? Before entering the flight, everything was checked. How can he be a threat while going out? Let him come along with me as it happens everywhere.”
But the CISF personnel were reluctant and insisted that the secretary come out of the terminal building like other passengers do. At this juncture, a humiliated Kalam reportedly lost his cool and shot back, “Should I wait for my secretary till he comes?”
When the CISF personnel refused, the former president came in his car to the VIP lounge and waited for his secretary to join him. The secretary too was very upset with the attitude of the CISF personnel and was heard talking about communicating the matter to the home ministry.
10/01/10 Rakesh Prakash/Bangalore Mirror

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Categories: Airports Jan 2010, IndiGo Airlines Jan 2010