New Delhi: The INDIA bloc of opposition parties will be meeting Thursday to discuss the Parliament security breach.
Late Wednesday, hours after the incident, the Union Home Ministry issued a statement that an enquiry committee had been set up to look into the breach.
During Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha Wednesday, two men jumped from the visitors’ gallery into the chamber. One of them opened canisters that emitted a yellow-coloured gas, before the two were overpowered by security forces and MPs. Four people have been arrested so far in connection with the incident, two more are on the run.
The Congress sought to corner the Union government over the security breach, demanding that Home Minister Amit Shah make statements in both houses. Saying that the incident could have been “life-threatening”, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said in Rajya Sabha Wednesday that the question was how two persons could breach such tough security and enter the Lok Sabha on the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack.
On request from Lok Sabha Secretariat, MHA has ordered an Enquiry of parliament security breach incident. An Enquiry Committee has been set up under Shri Anish Dayal Singh, DG, CRPF, with members from other security agencies and experts. (1/2)@HMOIndia @PIB_India @DDNewslive
— Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) December 13, 2023
Amid the ruckus, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said that the Congress was trying to “politicise the issue”.
“The Opposition’s behaviour is a message for the country,” he said.
Congress party communications head Jairam Ramesh later tweeted: “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.”
Soon after the Wednesday incident, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said in the House: “Today, we paid floral tribute to our bravehearts who sacrificed their lives during the Parliament attack and today itself there was an attack here. How did this incident happen on this anniversary? Does it prove that we failed to maintain a high level of security? It feels good that our MPs fearlessly nabbed them but where was the parliament’s security today that successfully saved the older Parliament.”
The Lok Sabha was adjourned right after the incident. After it resumed, Speaker Om Birla announced that a “thorough investigation of the incident is being done”, two men who jumped have been nabbed and their materials have been seized.
Two people outside the Parliament have also been arrested, added Birla. But his assurances failed to pacify opposition parties. An all-party meeting was called by the Speaker.
One of the MPs who claimed to be among those who were seen trying to nab the intruders was the Congress’s Gurjeet Singh Aujla. His hands stained yellow, he said, “It is a major security breach. There is an issue in the new Parliament.”
Aujla also expressed concern over the alleged shortcomings of the new Parliament building in terms of security, a concern shared by his fellow MP Shashi Tharoor. “There is just one way to enter and exit. Anyone just comes to the Parliament. Everyone is sitting together in the canteen. These things were not there in the old Parliament. “
Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav said, “I think the government should pay attention to this. Anything could have happened inside the Lok Sabha.”
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin posted on X: “The unprecedented security breach in the parliament poses a dangerous threat to our august temple of democracy.”
The unprecedented security breach in the parliament poses a dangerous threat to our august temple of democracy.
Swift action must be taken without delay. I appeal for launching a prompt investigation, fixing accountability, and implementing measures to prevent future lapses,…
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) December 13, 2023
While TMC’s Sudip Bandyopadhyay called the incident a “terrible experience” where he was expecting guns and bombs involved in the incident, Priyanka Chaturvedi of Shiv Sena (UBT) claimed that the attack comes a day after she “raised the issue of Khalistan terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun’s threat to attack the Parliament on the 13th, but the issue was ignored.”
Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal called the attack an “affront to our democratic values”.
He added: “The security of our temple of democracy cannot be compromised.”
Kejriwal also called for an urgent investigation into the matter, followed by swift and strict action.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
‘The Print’ and ‘Shekar Gupta’ brand credibilty is seariously compromised when they start peddling the narrative of INDIA (bloc) when they could choose alternative ‘marketing terms’ i.e. INDI aliance. By participating in mockery of INDIA, your team will pay your part of ‘karma’ like anyother political party (incl. BJP)