Waris Ahluwalia told BuzzFeed News that airline officials did not let get him on the plane after he refused to remove his turban for a security check.

Waris Ahluwalia — a New York-based actor, model and jewelry designer — said he was not allowed to board an AeroMexico flight from Mexico City on Monday because of his turban.

Instagram: @houseofwaris

Ahluwalia, who rose to prominence in 2013 after he became the first Sikh man to be featured in a Gap ad, told BuzzFeed News that AeroMexico officials told him he could not fly on any of its flights after he declined to remove his turban.

Via buzzfeed.com

Ahluwalia, 41, said that his boarding pass had four S's — which marked him for secondary screening at the Mexico airport. "It's amazing how many times I've been randomly selected," the actor, who has starred in The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Darjeeling Limited told BuzzFeed News.

After going through the first layer of security, Ahluwalia said he was asked to go through additional security at the boarding gate.

"They waited until everyone boarded the plane before they did the secondary security check on me," he said, adding that they went through his bag and made him remove his shoes and sweatshirt while conducting a fully body check.

They then told him to take off his turban, Ahluwalia said. Turbans, a religious head covering for Sikhs, are to be removed only in the privacy of their homes.

"I said, 'That's not going to happen,'" Ahulwalia said. "They talked amongst themselves in Spanish and then an airline official came up to me and said I will not be flying on any AeroMexico flights and will have to book myself on another flight."

"Being asked to remove your turban in public is like being asked to remove all your clothes in public," Ahluwalia said.

Instagram: @houseofwaris

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