Abdul Kalam

New Delhi, Nov. 13 (PTI): The US has apologised to former Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam who was twice frisked at JFK airport in September.

“We deeply regret the inconvenience that resulted for him (Kalam) as a result of the September 29 incident involving the security screening at JFK airport in New York,” a statement from the US embassy said, noting that it had high respect for Kalam.

Eighty-year-old Kalam was frisked on September 29 before boarding an Air India flight.

Sources said even after he had taken his seat, the US security personnel forced the crew to open the door and took away his jacket and boots to check for explosives since they had forgotten to do so before he boarded.

The jacket and the boots were later returned to Kalam.

An outraged Indian government today threatened retaliatory action against US dignitaries unless such “unacceptable” practices were stopped.

External affairs minister S.M. Krishna spoke to Nirupama Rao, the Indian ambassador in the US, and directed her to take up the matter in writing at the “highest level” with Washington.

In its damage-control exercise, the US came out with the written apology to Kalam and the Indian government, saying that the “appropriate procedure for expedited screening of dignitaries had not been followed”.

Sources close to Kalam said although he does not give thought to such incidents, this time his office informed the external affairs ministry about the incident after he returned home.

The BJP has asked the government to take up the issue with the US saying this “cannot be tolerated”.