Reality Check on Parliament Security: Breach Highlights Systemic Weaknesses

Security Lapse at Indian Parliament Raises Alarms: Unidentified Individuals Breach Lok Sabha

New Delhi, Wednesday – The Lok Sabha, the lower house of India’s Parliament, was thrown into chaos on Wednesday as two unidentified individuals breached security and jumped into the House chamber from the visitors’ gallery. The entire incident was captured on camera, highlighting a significant security lapse.

As the breach unfolded, Members of Parliament (MPs) hurriedly exited the chamber. According to eyewitness accounts, the intruders, identified as Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D, started shouting slogans and sprayed gas, causing panic among the parliamentarians. The Delhi Police swiftly detained both individuals from inside the House.

Shortly after the breach, a man and a woman, Amol Shinde and Neelam, were detained outside the Parliament building for protesting and carrying cans emitting yellowish smoke. The detained individuals were taken into custody for further investigation.

Speaking to the media outside Parliament, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram described the chaotic scenes, stating, “Suddenly, two young men around 20 years old jumped into the House from the visitor’s gallery and had canisters in their hands. These canisters were emitting yellow smoke. One of them was attempting to run towards the Speaker’s chair. They were shouting some slogans. The smoke could have been poisonous.”

Dimple Yadav, an MP from the Samajwadi Party, expressed concern about the lack of proper identification for visitors and reporters inside the Parliament, emphasizing the need for improved security measures. “All those who come here – be it visitors or reporters – they don’t carry tags. So, I think the government should pay attention to this. I think this is a complete security lapse. Anything could have happened inside the Lok Sabha,” she said.

The incident occurred on the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack when terrorists from Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) stormed the Parliament complex. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla addressed the House, assuring that the individuals responsible for the breach had been apprehended, and materials seized. He also mentioned that the preliminary investigation suggested that the smoke emitted was of an ordinary kind.

NewsTapOne.com accessed the visitor pass issued to one of the detainees, Sagar Sharma, revealing that it was issued in the name of BJP MP Pratap Simha during the ongoing Winter Session. The security breach has sparked concerns about the vulnerability of the Parliament’s security apparatus and the need for immediate corrective measures.