The government on Friday cried halt to the controversy surrounding frisking of chiefs of Defence Staff even as Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress President Sonia Gandhi is exempted from it.

According to Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, the exemptions now not only include the three chiefs but also several other dignitaries.

He announced that the list of dignitaries who are exempted from pre-embarkation security checks at civil airports has been extended to include the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, holders of Bharat Ratna decoration, the Chief Election Commissioner, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said he felt that it was “absolutely appropriate” that the people who defended the country’s borders should not be going through the same exercise (of security checks).

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) list of VVIPs/VIPs who are exempted from pre-embarkation security checks at all civil airports in the country include the president, the vice-president, the prime minister, former presidents, former vice presidents, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Chief Justice of India, judges of Supreme Court, leaders of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Union minister of Cabinet rank, deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha, deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha, all governors of states, chief ministers of states, ministers of state of the Union Council of ministers, chief justices of the high courts, Lt governors of Union Territories (UTs), chief ministers of UTs, deputy chief ministers of states, deputy chief ministers of UTs, ambassadors of foreign countries, Charge-D’ Affairs and High Commissioners and their spouses, the Cabinet secretary and others. It also includes Special Protection Group (SPG) protectees such as Sonia Gandhi, her children Priyanka and Rahul as well as Vadra.