Priyanka Vadra does not want special treatment for family at airports, writes to ... - Zee News

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi's daughter Priyanka Gandhi on Friday wrote a letter to the Director of Special Protection Group (SPG), asking for withdrawal of special airport exemptions provided to her and family.

The 42-year-old Priyanka and her husband, Robert Vadra, are currently on a list of VIPs which permits them skip security checks at airports within India.

However, the SPG sources said they will consult intelligence agencies over removing privileges to Priyanka and Robert Vadra at airports.

The development came a day after the newly appointed Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju in Narendra Modi’s Cabinet dropped hints towards stripping Robert of his frisking immunity in airports.

On being asked whether Vadra would continue to be in the VIP list and not be checked at airports, Raju said, "Security should be meaningful and not ornamental. It will depend if the Home Ministry feels there is a threat perception, and I am not talking about Vadra, we'll have to see."

Frisking immunity in India is usually enjoyed by important national as well as international dignitaries and the Vadra’s immunity is one such issue, which has always raised eyebrows and the Opposition parties also came down heavily on this.

It needs to be mentioned here that Vadra is the only civilian who enjoys frisking immunity in India.

After Narendra Modi-led government took charge, a senior BCAS official had said, "We are expecting the list of those exempted from frisking to get trimmed under the new NDA government."

Some sources within the Civil Aviation Ministry had said that the outgoing Manmohan Singh-led government did everything to scuttle the various RTI applications filed to seek information regarding the reasons behind Vadra's name being included in the elite list.

The Home Ministry had once replied to a RTI application saying that Vadra has been included in the list as he is accompanied by Priyanka Gandhi, who is protected by Special Protection Group (SPG).

During the election campaign, Modi and Arun Jaitley had said there will be no witch-hunt against Vadra and law will be allowed to take its own course.

First Published: Friday, May 30, 2014, 21:44