‘Hurt’ by Obama visit snub, CISF abandons president’s plane for 4 hrs

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) believes in tat for tat. Or so it appears looking at the way it conveniently ‘avoided’ protecting president Pratibha Patil’s aircraft, which landed in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Though Patil was escorted out of the airport immediately after arrival at 2pm, there was no security cover for her aircraft till 6pm.

The CISF, apparently hurt at being left out of the security team during US president Barack Obama’s visit to Mumbai in November, refused to be involved during the president’s halt in the city.

It was only after four hours of deliberations between senior CISF officials and Mumbai cops that an assistant commissioner of police from the protection unit was instructed to take charge of the aircraft.

The CISF, however, maintains that it followed the rule book.   

“It was not our duty to take over the aircraft from the Indian Air Force. Our duty was only to guard the periphery of the aircraft, which we diligently did. Our men were posted four hours prior to the landing. I am not aware if there was a delay in handing over the aircraft to the local police. If there was a delay, ask the police for the reasons”, JS Negi, senior commandant, CISF, told DNA.

“We are only supposed to supplement and strengthen the local police. Handing over and taking over is not our responsibility as far as the president’s aircraft is concerned.”

An officer from the Mumbai airport too denied that the flight lay abandoned. “There were at least four CISF jawans, a sub-inspector with the Mumbai police and two constables posted around the aircraft. However, since nobody volunteered to take custody of the aircraft because of the compulsory paperwork, the crew on board was left in the lurch for quite some time,” the officer said. An officer concerned said “there was enough police protection”, but did not mention the presence of CISF personnel.