Delhi Airport Discards Batch of Ink as Former MP Tweets Photo of Burns After Being Stamped on Hand

Former member of Parliament and national spokesperson for Congress Madhu Goud Yaskhi on Sunday tweeted a photo of his burns in his hands that he said was sustained from the indelible ink used for stamping international passengers on arrival at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International airport. The batch of ink has now reportedly been discarded.

On arrival at the Delhi airport from New York on Saturday, Yaskhi was stamped prior to boarding his connecting flight to Hyderabad.

Tagging Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Yaskhi wrote on Twitter, “Can you please look into the chemical being used at Delhi airport for stamping on passengers coming from abroad? Yesterday I was stamped at DelhiAirport and this is how my hands look now,” and shared the photos of his swollen hands.

The former MP received a prompt response from Puri. “Thank you for drawing my attention to this. I have spoken to CMD AAI,” the minister said.

As international flight services resumed in India, all the passengers arriving at the Delhi airport who are approved for home quarantine are stamped by the officials of their respective states. The passengers who are to be quarantined in Delhi are stamped by state government’s health department.

“The moment I was stamped I started feeling itchy. I thought it was normal. By 4.15pm when my flight took off, the irritation grew and I felt a burning sensation. Gradually, it turned black and it became intolerable,” Yaskhi told Hindustan Times, adding that he contacted one of his dermatologist friends as soon as he landed at Hyderabad. “My doctor told me that gradually my skin will peel off and that complete recovery may take more than a month,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Delhi airport operator, DIAL, responded to his tweet saying, “We deeply regret the inconvenience caused. The ink used for stamping is a standard indelible ink. We’ve reported the issue to the Delhi State Authorities. Currently, this batch of ink is being kept aside for testing by the supplier and further desired action. Thank you for highlighting this issue.”

The Delhi International Airport Limited officials said that the batch of ink has been set aside.

Passengers who’ve been pre-approved for home quarantine through the Air Suvidha portal are being stamped at the airport.

Yaskhi said that the sole purpose of his tweet was to draw the authorities’ attention so as to ensure that no other passenger goes through the same experience.