Indian Diplomat’s Turban + Airport Security = International Incident

Posted on Dec 13, 2010

Flickr / dkwonsh (CC-BY-ND)

As India’s top U.N. diplomat, Hardeep Puri is not supposed to have a hard time getting through the airport, but a trip through Houston found the Sikh in a polite showdown with security officials who wanted to search his turban. Puri is the third high-ranking Indian official to have a run-in with American security, prompting controversy on the subcontinent.

India’s foreign minister said his government had raised the Puri incident with U.S. authorities. Puri, himself, downplayed what happened, saying he corrected the offending officer and “The important thing here is that I did not let them touch my turban,” an offense to Sikhs.  —PZS

PTI via DNA:

The security officials then proceeded to go and check with his senior, which took about 20 to 25 minutes and Puri kept waiting.

When the official returned, he acknowledged that indeed there was such a provision and Puri was able to check his own turban.

“The important thing here is that I did not let them touch my turban,” he said, adding that the guards were doing their job.

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