IANS
 
Strasbourg, Apr 26: An unidentified woman of Indian origin slipped past local security guards to enter a room in the European Parliament where she hugged a bemused President A P J Abdul Kalam and had a photograph taken before being discovered that she was an interloper.

The woman, who apparently ran an Indian restaurant boasting of "Punjabi cuisine", had managed to get hold of a visitors' card from embassy officials in Paris that enabled her to get into the room where Kalam was meeting local dignitaries and European Commission officials.

It was after the official photographer clicked a snap of the woman hugging and almost squeezing the president that the ADC to the president suspected her identity and informed Indian officials outside.

The woman then disappeared as quickly as she came, but left red-faced officials wondering how vulnerable presidential security could be.

The president, unlike the prime minister, is not guarded by the Special Protection Group (SPG) and does not carry the retinue of guards that moves around with and around the prime minister.

The incident happened in full view of the Indian media waiting for a briefing after Kalam finished addressing the European parliament.