New Delhi:
A journalist from Jammu and Kashmir who alleged that immigration officials in Delhi were 'rude' to her is seen on CCTV footage not cooperating when the officers asked to have her bags scanned, the Delhi Customs said in a post on Twitter.
Yana Mir, whose speech in the British Parliament about how she is not 'Malala Yousafzai' because she is 'free and safe' in India, posted on X upon arriving at Delhi airport that Delhi Customs considers her a 'brand smuggler ' “, after her bags were opened and checked.
“What I said in London about India: I am free and safe in India. How I was welcomed in India? 'Madam, scan your bag, open your bag, why do you have Louis Vuitton shopping bags? Did you pay for them? Where are it the bills?' What Londoners think of me: Indian media warrior. What Delhi Customs thinks of me: Brand smuggler,” Ms Mir said in the social media post.
Delhi Customs took strong exception to Ms Mir's post, saying she felt “needlessly insulted” while staff remained “polite”. Customs also posted CCTV footage showing luggage of international passengers being routinely scanned.
“Mrs Yana Mir did not cooperate at all when she was asked to have her bags scanned. Her luggage was eventually collected by airline staff and customs officials for scanning, as seen in the footage,” Customs said in the post.
Scanning of bags of international passengers is carried out routinely. While other passengers put their luggage in the scanner without any hassle
Ms. Yana Mir felt unnecessarily offended. The staff remained courteous the entire time. Privilege is not above the law. Images tell the story. pic.twitter.com/vpwn4MMVQt— Delhi Customs (Airport & General) (@AirportGenCus) February 26, 2024
“Scanning of bags of international passengers is done routinely. While other passengers put their luggage in the scanner without any fuss, Ms. Yana Mir felt unnecessarily offended. The staff remained courteous throughout. Privileges are not above the law. Visuals tell the story,” the report said. .
Ms Mir refuted allegations that she had requested special treatment at the airport. “I don't want any special treatment. But harassing citizens in this way is dictatorial. They should be polite and ask if they want to explain something. If they are very suspicious even after scanning, they should be courteous and open the bag in a locked area. not openly like this,” she wrote in response to a comment on X.
What I said about India in London: I am FREE AND SAFE IN INDIA
How I was welcomed back to India 🤣🤐:
Ma'am, scan your bag, open your bag, why do you have Louis Vuitton shopping bags? Did you pay for it? Where are the bills???? 🤣
What Londoners think of me: INDIAN MEDIA WARRIOR… pic.twitter.com/ANIhhLoQJ3— Yana Mir (@MirYanaSY) February 26, 2024
In her statement at the 'Sankalp Divas' organized by the British Parliament in London, Ms Mir had asked the international media to “stop dividing” the people of Jammu and Kashmir. She had denounced Pakistan's propaganda mechanism to “tarnish India's image on the international stage”.
“I am not Malala Yousafzai because I am free and safe in my country, India. In my home country, Kashmir, which is part of India. I will never have to flee and take refuge in your land. I will never be a Malala Yousafzai, but I object to Malala defaming my country, my progressive homeland, by calling it oppressed,” the Kashmiri journalist said in her speech in Parliament.
“I object to all these toolkit members of social media and international media, who have never bothered to visit Kashmir, but from there they fabricate stories of oppression,” Ms Mir said in the British Parliament.