With the government reportedly planning to remove him from the list of VVIPs enjoying the privilege of not being frisked at airports, Robert Vadra — the son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi — welcomed the move, claiming he had never used the privilege. “Finally! I am glad and have been awaiting this so called and never used, security exemption privilege to be removed at airports.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 views on this subject in the past as well. Please stop wasting people’s time with this news, every few days,” said Vadra. The Home Ministry had given the go ahead to the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s plan to review the list of 33 categories of people, including the Dalai Lama and Vadra, who are currently exempted from frisking at airports in the country. [related-post] The Home Ministry said it did not consider the threat perception to Vadra serious enough to warrant his inclusion in the ‘no-frisking’ list. However, it advised the Ministry of Civil Aviation to take a final call after consultation with the Special Protection Group, which guards his wife Priyanka Gandhi. Currently, Vadra is not frisked at airports if he travels with an SPG protectee. If he is removed from the list, he would be subjected to frisking at all airports even if he travels with an SPG protectee. The Ministry of Civil Aviation, along with Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, is expected to begin the review of 33 categories of people with an aim to trim the list. The current no-frisk list includes the President, the Vice-President, the PM, Union ministers, Supreme Court judges, chief ministers, Governors and ambassadors. Those who are protected by the SPG, such as Vadra’s wife Priyanka Gandhi, are also not frisked.
