Friday, September 11, 2015

Nirvana lies in flying like Robert

New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government is considering requests from yoga practitioner Baba Ramdev and self-styled godman Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to exempt them from frisking at airports.

The proposal comes at a time the Centre is undecided on whether to drop Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law, Robert Vadra, from the list of VIPs exempted from airport security checks. Modi had attacked the "special treatment" for Vadra during his campaign speeches before last year's general election.

Ramdev had publicly endorsed Modi's candidature ahead of the elections while Ram Rahim, who heads the Dera Sacha Sauda sect, is said to have helped the BJP win the Haryana Assembly polls.

Civil aviation ministry sources said Ramdev and Ram Rahim had independently approached the government for the exemption.

Junior aviation minister Mahesh Sharma confirmed the "saints" had contacted the government seeking "fast passage" through airports, and that their demands were being "explored".

"We are considering what we can do about it since we have to reassess the list (of those exempt) anyway," Sharma told The Telegraph.
11/09/15 Sumi Sukanya/Telegraph
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