Robert Vadra won’t be frisked if travelling with Priyanka Gandhi

New Delhi: Despite his name being removed by the Modi government from the VVIP/VIP list for exemption from pre-embarkation frisking at airports in the country, Robert Vadra will still be exempt from frisking at airports when he travels with his wife Priyanka Gandhi.

The reason is that on the new list as well, the mentioned VIPs/VVIPs “and their accompanying spouse” have been granted exemption from pre-embarkation security checks. The new list issued by the government two days ago continues to list “SPG protectees” as one of the VIPs/VVIPs.

Mr Vadra’s wife Priyanka Gandhi is one of the SPG protectees and so is still entitled to the exemption. Further, when she travels with her husband, he too would be entitled to the exemption as a result.

In the earlier exemption list, Mr. Vadra’s name was specifically mentioned along with the rider that he would be entitled to the exemption only “while travelling with SPG protectees” which had essentially meant that earlier, if he was travelling with wife Priyanka Gandhi, brother-in-law Rahul Gandhi or mother-in-law Sonia Gandhi, he would be entitled to exemption from frisking. But now after the removal of his name in the latest list, he will be exempt from the frisking only when he travels with his wife Priyanka Gandhi. Another interesting aspect, is that even as per the earlier list, if he had travelled alone, he would have been subjected to frisking and that still continues as per the latest list as well from which his name has been removed.

The addition of the “accompanying spouse” of all the VIPs/VVIPs on the list was made a few years ago and that still remains so. When the term “accompanying spouse” found its way into the list then, the move had been criticised by aviation experts since it effectively meant a doubling of the exemption list when the VIPs/VVIPs travelled with their respective spouse.