- Saturday, November 23, 2024
Two persons jumped into the Lok Sabha or the lower chamber of the parliament from the public gallery during Zero Hour and released yellow gas from canisters and shouted slogans before being overpowered by the MPs.
By: Shubham Ghosh
HOURS after a massive security breach was reported in the Indian parliament, the opposition Indian National Congress on Wednesday (13) demanded answers from the Narendra Modi government and a statement from home minister Amit Shah in both houses of the Indian parliament over the issue.
Targetting the government, it said the incident proved that necessary precautions were not taken.
The winter session of the parliament is currently underway. India shifted its parliament to a new building in May from its colonial-era circular seat.
Read: Massive security breach at Indian parliament on 22nd terror attack anniversary
Wednesday also marked the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 terror attack in the Indian parliament in which nine people, excluding the terrorists, were killed.
Two persons jumped into the Lok Sabha or the lower chamber of the parliament from the public gallery during Zero Hour and released yellow gas from canisters and shouted slogans before being overpowered by the parliamentarians. Around the same time, a man and a woman also sprayed coloured gas from canisters while shouting slogans ‘tanashahi nahi chalegi’ outside the Parliament premises.
The Congress, which was demanding that the home minister comes to Rajya Sabha or the upper chamber and makes a statement, later walked out of the house in protest.
“INDIA parties walked out of the Rajya Sabha this afternoon on the issue of the extraordinary events in the Lok Sabha today and the refusal of the Home Minister to make a statement on the matter, especially after such a huge breach of security on the very same day Parliament was attacked 22 years ago,” All India Congress Committee general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.
In an apparent swipe at prime minister Narendra Modi, the Congress put out a post showing the picture of him and Bharatiya Janata Party parliamentarian Pratap Simha, saying, “Infiltration in Parliament on the pass of BJP MP Pratap Simha”.
“‘Na hi wahan koi ghus aaya hai, na hi wahan kisi ne kisi ko ghusaya hai’ (Neither has anyone entered there, now has anyone allowed anyone to enter there),” the caption on the picture said in an apparent reference to prime minister’s words during an all-party meet after Chinese intrusions on the border in eastern Ladakh where forces of India and China have locked horns over skirmishes.
Two persons, involved in the Lok Sabha incident, have been identified as Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan. Sharma had come to the visitor’s gallery as a guest of Simha.
In a post on X, party president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said the security breach that took place in Parliament is a very serious matter.
“We demand that the home minister should come to both the Houses and give a statement on this. The question is, how did two people come inside such a big security department and release gas from a canister there,” he said.
“Today, on Martyr’s Day, we paid tribute to the brave security personnel who lost their lives in the attack on Parliament 22 years ago. We hope that the government will take this very seriously. We demand a thorough investigation into the entire incident. We always want unity and integrity of the country,” he wrote.
Party MP Karti Chidambaram said the Zero Hour was going on in the House and he was awaiting his turn to speak. Suddenly, it appeared that one person had fallen down from the visitors gallery, he noted.
“Then we realised that it was a deliberate act of him jumping into the well. There was another person, both of them pulled out canisters which were emitting yellow smoke,” he said.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said, “Two people entered the house and filled the house with ‘smoke’. Today is the 22nd anniversary of the terrorist attack on Parliament – and how is such a major lapse in Parliament security possible even today?”
“After all, who were these people whose entry passes were made by BJP’s Mysore MP Pratap Simha?” she asked.
(With PTI inputs)
