In a major security breach on the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack, a group of people managed to enter into the the Lok Sabha with smoke cannisters and two of them even managed to jump from the Lok Sabha visitors’s gallery into the House. Delhi Police sources stated that at least six people were involved in the entire incident which has sent shockwaves across the country.
The incident took place during the Zero Hour when Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Maladah Uttar in West Bengal was speaking while his party colleague Rajendra Agrawal was in the Chair. The two men jumped from the visitors gallery into the Lok Sabha chamber and onto the benches where MPs sit and started to run. They was caught hold by a group of MPs and thrashed him before he was whisked away by the security and handed over to Delhi Police personnel.
The visitors pass on which the two men had been granted entry was signed by BJP MP from Mysuru Pratap Simha.
While four of the six individuals involved in planning the Parliament security lapse have been arrested, a massive hunt has been launched to trace and nab the other two, Delhi Police sources confirmed. Concurrently, two protesters, Neelam (42) and Amol (25), displayed similar canisters outside Parliament and were also detained.
News agency ANI reported that Just an hour after news of a significant security breach in Lok Sabha surfaced, Delhi Police reported detaining demonstrators near Transport Bhavan. These protesters had cylindrical container from which yellow smoke was bellowing out.
According to sources, six individuals, five of whom have been identified, arrived from outside Delhi and lodged at a residence in Gurugram, Haryana. Initial investigations revealed the four detainees, along with an unidentified fifth person, came from outside Delhi and stayed at Lalit Jha’s residence in Gurugram. Efforts are underway to locate the remaining two individuals involved in the incident, said Delhi Police sources.
Neelam and Amol, apprehended near Transport Bhawan, reportedly had no mobile phones or identification documents with them. Both denied affiliation with any organization.
Earlier, Intelligence Bureau officials visited the new Parliament building, the site of the security breach, for investigation. This incident underscores the vulnerability of high-security areas and emphasises the necessity for stringent security protocols to prevent unauthorised access and potential threats to the sanctity of parliamentary proceedings. Authorities are expected to conduct a thorough investigation into the breach to prevent future occurrences and ensure the safety of the parliamentary premises and its occupants.
Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla said he had managed to snatch an object from one of the intruders.
BJP MP Rajendra Agarwal, who was presiding over the Chair of Speaker at the moment this incident occured, said “There is a loophole for sure. When the first person came down, we thought he might have fallen but when the second person started coming down, all of us became cautious. The person tried to open his shoes and took something out after which smoke came out. Action will be taken against this. The Speaker and responsible people will make the decision on this. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also reached the House when all of this happened…”
Karti Chidambram, a Lok Sabha MP, also referred to this as a security breach. “Abruptly, two youthful men, perhaps in their twenties, leaped from the visitor’s gallery into the House while holding canisters. There was yellow smoke coming from these canisters. One of them was trying to sprint in the direction of the Speaker’s chair. They were yelling some catchphrases. There was a chance the smoke was toxic. This is a grave security lapse, particularly on December 13, the day of the 2001 attack on Parliament.”
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla assured the MPs of a through investigation into the incident.