Opposition MPs demand explanation from home minister on Lok Sabha security breach

New Delhi, Dec 13 (PTI) Several opposition MPs on Wednesday demanded an explanation from Home Minister Amit Shah after two visitors jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitors’ gallery and opened canisters that emitted coloured smoke, triggering panic among the members.

Several opposition MPs also alleged that security arrangements in the new Parliament building is not sufficient and needs to be addressed immediately.

Two persons jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour and released yellow gas from canisters and shouted slogans before being overpowered by MPs. 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.

TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said the home minister should resign as he failed to ensure the safety of Parliament.

“Amit Shah should resign immediately. There is no security planning. The gallery is right above us … ,” he said.

“If Parliament security can be breached this way, how can the country be secure?” he asked.

He said the incident could have been more serious and questioned the Union Home Ministry’s functioning.

“It could have been a repeat of the 2001 incident. What is the intelligence department of the home ministry doing? Nothing. The home minister is giving big speeches and cannot even maintain security in Parliament,” Banerjee said.

Hanuman Beniwal, among the MPs who caught the intruders, said it should be investigated who endorsed the visitors’ passes for them.

“More than 150 MPs were present during Zero Hour … They (intruders) tried to come to the speaker’s chair. They had something in their shoes,” Beniwal said.

“It should be investigated whose guests they were. They said, ‘We are protesting, we do not have any (other) purpose’…,” he said.

“They thought they will become heroes … we taught them a lesson,” the MP from Rajasthan said.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said the incident raises several questions, adding that they have learnt that a ruling party MP endorsed the intruders’ passes.

“It raises a number of questions. They were brought in by a ruling party MP, so we need to find out more details. Despite existing security precautions, they were able to smuggle in smoke pistols that were used to fire yellow smoke, which created panic among some members,” he said.

“These people did something which did not cause much damage but imagine if it had been more serious … It is a matter serious enough that the home minister himself may want to explain to the nation about the security lapses and security arrangements,” he said.

“Many people feel the arrangements in the new Parliament building for security are very much less satisfactory than the old Parliament building. We have to see what can be done to modify those on an urgent footing,” Tharoor added.

Lok Sabha MP Danish Ali claimed one of the intruders was the guest of Mysore MP Pratap Simha.

MP NK Premchandan, meanwhile, said the security lapse was very serious as there was a threat by Sikhs for Justice chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun to attack Parliament.

“It is an attack on Indian democracy. It is a great lapse on part of the home ministry. Two weeks ago, a threat was there from Khalistani Pannun. Security personnel say they had ratified the threat and said ‘we are on alert’,” the MP from Kerala said.

“It is quiet unfortunate on the same day (as the 2001 attack) this incident happened … It is a great security lapse that is happened even after a warning by terrorist groups,” he added.

RJD MP Manoj Jha, meanwhile, said concerns about security were raised by several MPs during the special session in September when several visitors resorted to sloganeering inside the House.

“This is not an incident but an accident. On this day in 2001, our Parliament was attacked. Treasury and Opposition leaders were standing together that day. However, today, they (Treasury leaders) are not accepting and responding on the issue,” he said.

“Doubts were expressed over the security arrangements in this building. The day the women’s reservation bill was passed, there were visitors shouting slogans hailing the prime minister. We said tomorrow someone may shout ‘murdabad’ slogans. Someone may throw something … We are seeing the result of what they have started. There is a security lapse,” he said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said she raised concerns over security during the last session as well but those were ignored.

“In the last session, the special session, I had written to the (Rajya Sabha) chairman that the way sloganeering was being done, who were the MPs who enabled them to come inside should be probed. Yesterday (Tuesday) as well, I raised the issue of threat by Khalistani terrorists to attack Parliament, even that was ignored,” she said.

“The number of visitors that come and are given no instruction on what should be done and what should not be done, it shows this is a security breach,” she said.