Robert Vadra loses no-frisking privilege

Robert Vadra loses no-frisking privilege

FPJ BureauUpdated: Friday, May 31, 2019, 11:05 PM IST
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NEW DELHI : The BJP government has finally gathered the courage to withdraw the no frisking privilege available to Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, at airports.

Vadra until now was not frisked at airports if he was travelling with a SPG protectee. Now that he is off the VVIP radar, he would be subjected to the customary search at all airports, even if he is escorting an SPG protectee.

A notification issued in this respect by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has been sent to all airports, official sources said.

Not just Vadra, 33 other people, including the Dalai Lama, were under the scanner for the exemption they enjoyed at airports. In the case of Vadra, the Home Ministry was of the view that it did not consider the threat perception to Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law serious enough to warrant his inclusion in the ‘no-frisking’ list. Nonetheless, it had advised the Civil Aviation Ministry to take a final call after consultations with the Special Protection Group, which guards his wife Priyanka Gandhi.

After the withdrawal of the privilege, Vadra promptly welcomed the order saying he was “no VIP”.

“Finally, I am glad this so-called and never used security exemption privilege has been removed at airports,” he said in a statement.

“I am and have been more than ready to give a written consent to remove my name from this VVIP list. I am no VIP and I have expressed my view on this subject in the past as well. Please stop wasting people’s time with this news, every few days,” Vadra added. The current no-frisk list includes the President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Union Cabinet Ministers, Leader of Opposition, Supreme Court judges, High Court Chief Justices, Chief Ministers and their deputies, governors and ambassadors.

Those who are protected by the SPG such as Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi are also not subjected to frisking at airports. Input .

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