CISF men at city airport turn mute spectators to security breach
Bhubaneswar: With swords and other traditional weapons, BJP supporters came to Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) Tuesday to welcome the recently elevated Cabinet minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The BJP cadre created a bizarre scene flouting security guidelines at the state’s most important airport by open display of weapons. In fact, right in the presence of heavily armed CISF commandoes guarding the entry point at the international airport, Pradhan’s supporters defied security norms with impunity.
Although this correspondent drew the attention of a CISF officer on duty at the international terminal to the unruly behavior of the BJP workers, the latter ignored it.
“We are responsible for security of the operational area. This has to be stopped by the state police officials. We cannot take action against them,” said Ameresh Kumar, a CISF commando on duty at the international terminal.
In fact, the state police officials who were on duty at the airport refused to comment. Significantly, local police made no attempts to prevent display of swords from the security point of view and public safety.
Interestingly, the BJP supporters, who came by two-wheelers, also parked their bikes in front of the terminal’s entry gate which is a no parking zone. Traffic police officials who were on duty did nothing to check it even as passengers and public were mute spectators.
“I came to drop my daughter. I was surprised to see this crowd and a person with a sword standing in front of the international airport. I didn’t know why the officials on duty are not checking these swords and not stopping their open display. Display of a sword itself is creating panic,” said JK Behera, a retired Army officer.
Orissa POST had reported many times about the security lapses at BPIA. In fact, the airport is giving importance to security only at operational areas and efforts are not being made to prevent security lapses outside the airport.
Although, airports are heavily guarded, instances like deadly suicide attacks at Istanbul’s Atatürk International Airport and the attacks at the departure hall at Brussels Airport last year show that security officials across the world often ignore the importance of security at landside areas — the places outside the security checkpoints. These include crowded areas like departure and arrival halls, parking lots and curbside drop-offs.
During a media interaction at BPIA, Guruprasad Mohapatra, chairman, Airports Authority of India (AAI), said security at landside area is the responsibility of the state police.
“The security outside the operational area is the responsibility of the state. We will check with officials regarding this incident,” said a top AAI official.
With state police indifferent to security lapses at the BPIA, the ultimate sufferers are the passengers and the reputation of the most important airport in the state is at stake.
Jose K Joseph, OP
