Friday 18 September 2015

Robert Vadra to ‘erase’ name from all no-frisk lists



"Plans to visit every terminal in the airports in India and add a white tape on my name from the VVIP list and my signature on top !! So look out," Robert Vadra said in a Facebook post Monday.

Incidentally, as reported by TOI the Goa airport had put a white tape on Robert Vadra's name at the no-frisking list earlier this year. The move, local officials had said, was taken after many people used to ask why Vadra's name was on that list.

The aviation ministry -- whose indecisiveness led to constant flip flops on Robert Vadra remaining on that list or not -- reacted furiously to the businessman's Facebook post. "Why is he politicizing the issue by writing on Facebook? He should write to me or the home minister and we will have his name removed in no time," Union minister of state for aviation minister Mahesh Sharma -- who singlehandedly runs the show as the cabinet minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju has taken a back seat -- told TOI. 

"There is a procedure to be followed. Let Robert Vadra write to the home ministry. The MHA recommendation will be forwarded to Bureau of Civil Aviation Security for the needful," Sharma added. 

Robert Vadra's plan to emulate the Goa airport board comes two days after he requested the government to remove him from the list. "I have voiced and given my written consent to remove my name from this list, many times.... I do not need this privilege and have never used it. It takes less than a minute to get frisked and there is nothing to hide, that cameras need be avoided! Maybe I need to personally go to every airport and delete my name, will that work?" he had posted. 

The NDA has done a flip flop on taking that privilege away from Robert Vadra. Ever since taking over as aviation minister last May, Ashok Raju has spoken of removing 'ornamental' names from the no-frisking list. But the home ministry gave an unclear verdict on doing so. Following this, Mahesh Sharma last Thursday said taking Robert Vadra off that list was not on the government's radar.

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