New Delhi says frisking of former President APJ Abdul Kalam at New York's John F Kennedy airport is unacceptable and will be taken up with the United States at the highest level.

External Affairs Minister S M Krishna told reporters in New Delhi that the issue is very serious. He said he has asked India's Ambassdor to U.S. Nirupama Rao to take up the matter with the American authorities.

It is reported that Kalam was frisked not once but twice at an US airport in September, an act that violates protocol followed by almost every other country.

Security personnel patted Kalam down before he was allowed to board an Air India flight. They tried to frisk him again once he was seated saying they had forgotten to check his jacket and shoes.

In April 2009 also, Kalam had been frisked by officials of US airliner Continental Airlines despite his name featuring in the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security's list of people exempt from security checks in India. The Airlines had later offered an apology to Kalam.