Elaborate security check of Sikhs at US aiports not fair: Preneet Kaur

The Centre is vigorously taking up with US officials the issue of Sikhs being subjected to elaborate security checks at its airports, minister of state for external affairs Preneet Kaur today said.

"Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is aware that Sikhs are scanned on the airports in USA and their turbans are patted and therefore, we are vigorously taking it up with our counterparts in the US," Preneet told reporters at village Gurthali-Kishangarh in the district.

"Turban is the identity of the Sikhs," said the Congress MP from Patiala.

India's permanent representative to the UN Hardeep Puri was reportedly asked by airport officials at Houston recently to remove his turban during a security check.

However, Puri had sought to downplay the incident, saying he did not allow removal of his turban.

Replying to a question, she said, "Detailed exercise for review of cases of blacklisted Sikh NRIs, which include unspecified number of Indo-Canadians, has been undertaken by the home ministry. Out of the 51 cases, names of seven Sikh NRIs in the black list have since been deleted after following prescribed procedure".

She further said that 24 more names have been deleted for the wards of blacklisted Sikhs and their names have not been disclosed due to security reasons.