US apologises for frisking former Indian president

The United States on Sunday apologised to former Indian president Abdul Kalam after the New Delhi government complained that he had been frisked at a New York airport.

India is sensitive about its dignitaries undergoing routine security checks and Nirupama Rao, its ambassador to the US, was ordered to lodge a letter outlining how Kalam had allegedly been poorly treated.

The Press Trust of India news agency said security personnel entered the passenger aircraft before it took off, frisked Kalam and briefly took away his jacket and shoes as he had not gone through checks before boarding the plane.

"The United States government extended its apology that appropriate procedures for expedited screening of dignitaries had not been followed," a statement from the US embassy in Delhi said.

"We deeply regret the inconvenience that resulted for him," it added, saying the incident took place on September 29 at the John F. Kennedy airport.

Kalam, 80, is a Muslim who served as a popular president of India from 2002-07. He was previously the country's chief military scientist.

A similar diplomatic incident erupted in April 2009 when Kalam was questioned in New Delhi before boarding a flight to the US.

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan claimed in the same month that he was detained for questioning at a US airport because of his Muslim name.

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