Obama in India: American journalists upset with extra-tight security

New Delhi, Jan 26: While the nation witnessed with great enthusiasm the presence of the US president as the chief guest at the 66th Republic Day ceremony in the national capital, not all reporters covering the event were happy for the security personnel allegedly confiscated their items including the ballpoint pens and hand sanitizer and medicines.

Take for example the case of Colleen Nelson, the White House correspondent for The Wall Street Journal. In one tweet, she said: "Things I've had confiscated by Indian security in the last day: Altoids, hand sanitizer, ballpoint pens. They tried to take my Epipen,, too."

In another tweet, she said: "I wore the wrong shoes for a Republic Day parade in a mud pit." Light showers on Sunday night and early Monday morning played spoilsport at the 66th Republic Day celebrations.

Peter Baker, Chief White House Correspondent, New York Times, said in another tweet: "What kind of country invites the US president to its parade but then doesn't let reporters covering it bring laptops, cameras or phones?"

New Delhi was turned into a fortress guarded by a massive security deployment, snipers at highrise tops, sniffer dogs, anti-bomb squads and anti-aircraft guns ahead of the US president's visit.

Oneindia News