Was Rahul Gandhi detained by FBI?

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 29. With the U.S. security agencies leaving nothing to chance after the September 11 terrorist strikes, sleuths of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) ``detained'' Mr. Rahul Gandhi, son of the former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, and the Leader of the Opposition, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, for about an hour at the Boston airport early this week, sources here said.

According to sources, Mr. Gandhi, reportedly travelling from Boston to Washington, was detained by the FBI agents who would not let him go even after checking his travel documents thoroughly. They checked his baggage, despite being told that he was the son of a former Indian Prime Minister.

Sources here maintain that only when the news reached 10, Janpath, and the Congress president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, reportedly spoke to the Indian Ambassador in the U.S., Mr. Lalit Mansingh, Mr. Gandhi was able to proceed with his onward journey.
Though official circles were silent over the incident, Congress sources said they were concerned. Mr. Gandhi's movement should have been known to the U.S. security agencies because he is a Special Protection Group protectee. And, under the security drill, any movement of a SPG protectee abroad is communicated in advance to their counterparts in that country.

`Envoy did not intercede'

Meanwhile, Sridhar Krishnaswami reports from Washington, quoting well-placed diplomatic sources, that media reports of Mr. Mansingh having been brought into the picture to allow Mr. Gandhi to proceed on his onward journey from Boston to Washington ``are simply not true.''

The sources also said since Mr. Gandhi did not get any security protection here, the U.S. agencies were not under any obligation to inform the Indian Embassy of any contact they may have had with him.
In fact, some Embassy officials here have no knowledge of Mr. Gandhi's trip from Boston to Washington.

``But reports of Ms. Sonia Gandhi calling the Indian Ambassador and asking him to intercede with authorities on the `detention' of Mr. Rahul Gandhi are simply not true,'' a senior Indian diplomat told The Hindu.

Diplomats are pointing to the heightened security precautions in the U.S. in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. Besides different layers of security check at airports, many are subjected to some intense questioning by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other investigative agencies. But for official purposes, in the case of the movement of VVIPs - and in some cases VIPs - the Embassy notifies Diplomatic Security for necessary courtesies.

 

 Source -  http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/2001/09/30/stories/02300003.htm

Rahul in party mood soon after Mumbai crisis

Even before the tears of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan’s mother could dry up, Congress general secretary and heir apparent Rahul Gandhi went partying with his pals at a farmhouse on Delhi’s outskirts.

The Prince partied hard, till 5 in the morning, on Sunday at the ‘sangeet’ for the forthcoming wedding of Samir Sharma, his childhood friend. They were at a sprawling farmhouse at Radhey Mohan Chowk, the haven of people who lead charmed lives beyond Chhatarpur.

Just a day earlier, his sister Priyanka Vadra had caused a flutter by saying the late Indira Gandhi would have “made us very proud” by the way she would have reacted to the Mumbai terror strikes. Mumbai appeared to be far from her brother’s mind as he boogied at the farmhouse with Samir Sharma, US-based furniture designer son of Captain Satish Sharma, the late Rajiv Gandhi’s flying partner who nursed the First Family’s pocketborough, Rae Bareli, till Sonia Gandhi chose to contest from there in 2004.

The Prince seemed to be completely out of sync with the mood of the nation post-26/11. Since Wednesday night, officials have been cancelling parties they were meant to host and even restaurants called off special events.

Saturday night’s ‘sangeet’ was a lavish affair. It was hosted by Leena Musafir, sister of the woman with whom Samir is getting married, and her husband Inder. The party was attended by over 800 guests, including regulars at Page 3 dos. “When everyone is cancelling parties or just keeping them low-key, Rahul Gandhi had no business to be celebrating. His action makes us lose faith in future leaders,” said Ajay Bahl, a leading corporate lawyer who was trapped in the thick of the action on 26/11 at The Oberoi, Mumbai, but managed to escape with the help of the hotel staff.

The Gandhis, including Sonia Gandhi’s mother Paola Maino, were present in strength at the 2004 wedding of Samir’s sister, Sarika, who is married to actor-turned- TV producer Rahul Bhatt. Sarika and Rahul now manage a television production house.

The two families may be very close — Captain Sharma and his wife, Sterre, were present throughout the very private wedding of Priyanka Gandhi and Robert Vadra — but the circumstances now are very different.

As a guest at the ‘sangeet’ remarked on the condition of anonymity, “We were all partying, but none of us is a public person. Rahul Gandhi, however, is. He must be more responsible in his social appearances.

Source: 

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/story/Rahul+in+party+mood+soon+after+Mumbai+crisis/1/21442.html