Ambassador Shankar's frisking: CPI(M) advises tit for tat

Taking exception to frisking of Indian Ambassador Meera Shankar in the US, the CPI(M) on Friday asked the government to adopt a "reciprocal" approach and subject the American envoy to security searches on domestic flights in India.

Taking exception to frisking of Indian Ambassador Meera Shankar in the US, the CPI(M) on Friday asked the government to adopt a "reciprocal" approach and subject the American envoy to security searches on domestic flights in India.

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"It is not enough for the Indian government to say that such frisking is unacceptable. Since the US authorities have stated that Ambassadors are not exempt from security searches, what the government should do is to adopt a reciprocal approach," the Left party said in a statement.

The US Ambassador in India should be subjected to security searches on domestic flights in India, the CPI(M) Politburo said reacting to reports of Shankar being selected for an enhanced pat-down from amongst the passengers.

The party said it "deplored" the frisking of Shankar, by security personnel at the Mississippi airport.

Shankar was pulled out from an airport security line on December 4 and patted down by an American security agent in Mississippi despite being told of her diplomatic status.

Shankar presented her diplomatic papers to officers and was escorted by a Mississippi Development Authority representative and an airport security officer, but witnesses said she was subjected to the hands-on search.