New Delhi: AS civil aviation secretary, S N A Zaidi had strongly advocated reducing the list of over 30 categories of VIPs exempted from security checks at airports. As Election Commissioner, Zaidi has raised the matter again — now he wants to be exempted from frisking at all Indian airports.
In a letter to the Ministry of Civil Aviation in the first week of May, Zaidi said that as EC he enjoys the status of a Supreme Court judge and was, therefore, eligible for exemption from frisking.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Supreme Court judges are exempted from security checks at airports, and Zaidi noted that all election commissioners enjoy the same status.
Zaidi told The Sunday Express that he would not like to comment on the matter. Asked about the change in stance from the time he was a civil aviation secretary, he said: "That was in a different context. In any case, it is for the Ministry of Civil Aviation to decide on this."
19/05/13 Ajmer Singh/Indian Express
