Shah Rukh Khan detained for two hours at a New Yor - Page 16

SRK detention: India summons US envoy

CNN-IBN | 14-Apr 07:20 AM

New Delhi: India has refused to accept the US apology for Shah Rukh Khan's two-hour detention at a New York airport on Friday and has summoned the US Deputy Chief of Mission.

"I was detained at the airport as always for an hour and a half, which was nice. Whenever I start feeling too arrogant about myself, I always take a trip to America. The immigration guys kick the star our of stardom," Shah Rukh Khan joked about his detention while giving his speech at Yale University after receiving the Chubb fellowship.

The actor must have felt a sense of deja vu when he was detained for almost two hours at New York's White Plane Airport for questioning. Shah Rukh Khan who was on his way to the Yale University, arrived in New York in a private airplane. The airport apparently needed the approval of 'senior authorities' to clear him and the entire process took 75 minutes. Shah Rukh was reportedly upset by the incident and described it as something that 'always happens'.

"Many Americans are fans of SRK. We apologise for the inconvenience experienced by Shahrukh Khan," US Embassy spokesperson Peter Vrooman said.

This came even as External Affairs Minister S M Krishna talked tough, saying "it has become a habit these days to first detain and then apologise. This cant continue."

Preneet Kaur, Minister of State External Affairs also said that the apology was not enough and the matter would be taken up at the highest level.

While the US customs and border authorities apologised once again for detaining the actor, the celeb Twitter world was up in arms against the entire incident.

Oscar winning sound designer Resul Pookutty tweeted, "Detained at NY emigration. It's evident that because he has a Muslim name, that too d day Yale university gave him a fellowship," and followed it up with, "This is discrimination and they must stop this. SRK is so cool about it and he laughed it off. But it's not that simple, they need to look inward."

While jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali wrote, "I do wish the US immigration would stop detaining Shah Rukh Khan as it seems to be getting into a habit now."

While Shah Rukh Khan joked about his detention, the increasing number of Indians detained at airports, is sparking off an angry reaction among Indians from around the world.