In a strong reaction to the detention of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan at a New York airport, India on Friday summoned a top American diplomat after External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said “detention and apology” had become a habit with the U.S., which could not continue.
According to the sources, U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Donald Lu was summoned by Joint Secretary (Americas) Javed Ashraf and was conveyed India's “concern” over the issue. — PTI
“What's the big deal?”
Special Correspondent reports:
Sharing the Indian media's and the government's resentment, the Twitteratti were wondering why Indian celebrities don't turn down invitations from the U.S. But Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah did not think the matter deserved to be taken up “at the highest levels” as Mr. Krishna instructed the Indian Ambassador in the U.S. to do. “Honestly what's the big deal? This airport detention thing happens all the time and to all sorts of people. Get over it,” he advised.
Backing Mr. Krishna, his junior Minister Preneet Kaur was also uncompromising: “More than an apology will have to take place.” But the actor's self-professed close friend and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajiv Shukla did not go beyond expressing obligatory resentment: “What has happened is not appropriate.”
The BJP fielded the former Union Minister, Shahnawaz Khan, who has also suffered detention at a U.S. airport. “Such [an] attitude of the U.S. is not acceptable and we condemn it. First this [detention and security check] was done with the former President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, then with Shah Rukh Khan and then with me. Now this has been repeated with Khan. Each time the U.S. says it will look into the issue,” he complained.
