Washington: The infamous Salahi couple
who gate-crashed into the first State Dinner of the US
President Barack Obama for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by
dodging secret service have demanded an apology from the White
House for not being a "gracious" host.
Tareq and Michaele Salahi say they've been the target
of pranks and death threats following the security scandal, in
which the pair was admitted without an invitation to a soiree
for the Prime Minister of India on November 24, 2009.
"It would be nice if somebody apologised to us and for
(the White House) to call it quits," Tareq Salahi told Radar
Online.
"I would certainly not treat anyone this way that
comes to my house, even if there was a question about an
invitation, or there was some miscommunication ... I would
still welcome anyone and be gracious."
"The American way is to love people," added Michaele.
The congressional investigation into the party
crashing - which cost White House Social Secretary Desiree
Rogers her job - brought the couple a firestorm of negative
attention, Tareq said. In one incident, Michelle received a
package at their Virginia home containing a used condom.
"It is a totally different life now and is really
impossible to describe," Tareq Salahi told Radar.
While President Obama has said the Salahis "should not
have gotten through the gate," the pair maintains they were
extended an invite to the dinner.
"Without a doubt, there is no question that we were
extended an invitation.
Nobody realised this but we were asked for our social
security number, our date of birth, our full legal name and
our citizenship for clearance for the White House state
dinner. Not for a breakfast. Not for a VIP tour. Not for a
luncheon. Specifically, in writing, for the White House state
dinner evening activities.
Nobody knows that and nobody has bothered to ask us
about that, except for the Secret Service investigation,"
Tareq told Radar.
The Salahis also confirmed that they are taking part
in the upcoming Bravo reality show "Real Housewives of D.C.",
but said the state dinner stunt wasn't an audition. They had
already been cast at the time of the incident, and filming had
been underway for some time, they told Radar.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, May 19, 2010, 17:58