The Lok Sabha Secretariat is solely responsible for the security of the Parliament, says Lok Sabha speaker.
Lok Sabha Secretariat has suspended eight security personnel on December 13 over the lapses which led to the security breach incident in the parliament the day before.
About 15 members of parliament (MPs), from different opposition parties have also been suspended from Lok Sabha for the rest of the session for “unruly conduct.”
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said in the session, “The incident that happened yesterday made all of us worried. It is the secretariat’s duty to maintain security of Lok Sabha. The secretariat will discuss with the government about their next steps. The government should not interfere with matters concerning the secretariat.”
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the security breach incident is a very unfortunate one. “There is a need for all the MPs, whether from the ruling or opposition, to be careful. All the MPs should condemn this act, and we have to be careful who we issue the passes to enter,” he said.
Six people are accused of breaching the security of parliament after two of them entered the House Chamber from the visitor’s gallery, and the rest held smoke cans outside the Parliament. The Delhi Police has invoked Section 16 and 18 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against the accused.
Ministry of Home Affairs posted on X (formally twitter) that the ministry has set up an enquiry committee of the incident which will investigate into the reasons for breach in security of Parliament, identify lapses and recommend further action.
Wednesday’s parliament attack: not an isolated incident
The first such attack on the Indian Parliament was during the colonial rule.
In a major security breach at the Parliament Wednesday, two people opened smoke canisters during Zero Hour. In an attack planned by six people, five intruders have been arrested, while one is still on the run. This incident coincided with the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack. Here is a timeline of when parliament and legislative assemblies in the country have been attacked.
Central Legislative Assembly bombing
On Apr. 8, 1929, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw two bombs inside the then Indian Parliament ruled by the British and shouted “Inquilab Zindabad.” It was the day when Viceroy Lord Irwin was going to proclaim the Public Safety and the Trade Disputes Bills. Both were sentenced to life imprisonment.
Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly bombing
On Oct. 1, 2001, a suicide bomber rammed a car full of explosives into the main gate of the state Legislative Assembly followed by firing that continued for hours. The attack claimed 29 lives. Jaish-e-Mohammad, a terrorist group based in Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack.
Attack on Indian Parliament
On Dec. 13, 2001, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists entered the Indian Parliament in an ambassador car fitted with a red light and a forged Home Ministry sticker. In ensuing firing, 14 people died including six Delhi Police personnel, two security personnel and a gardener. All the five attackers were killed by the security forces.
Odisha Assembly mob attack
On Mar. 16, 2002, Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Durga Vahini activists stormed into the Odisha Assembly chanting “Jai Shree Ram”. Before the mob attacked the assembly, they were holding a dharna demanding the Ayodhaya land to be handed over to the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas to build the Ram temple.
Parliament security breach
On Dec. 13, 2023, two men jumped into the Parliament chamber from the visitor’s gallery and set off yellow smoke canisters shouting slogans. Before this, two others burst smoke canisters and shouted slogans outside the Parliament.
Ishika Sharma and Saradhi Sankar contributed to this story.
