Another security breach in Parliament, intruders held
The Lok Sabha witnessed shocking scenes
The Lok Sabha witnessed shocking scenes on December 13 when two persons jumped into the House from the public gallery, carrying what appeared to be gas canisters.As soon as the duo entered the House during the Zero Hour, one of them was seen leaping over the benches while the other dangled from the public gallery, spraying some kind of gas substance. This led to chaos and confusion inside the House
A man jumped into the lawmakers’ area
A man jumped into the lawmakers’ area of the lower house of India’s parliament on Wednesday, in a major security breach on the 22nd anniversary of a deadly attack on the complex.TV channels showed a man wearing a black jacket jump from the visitors’ area into the lawmakers’ seating area, climbing over tables of lawmakers.White and yellow coloured smoke could be seen in the chambers in a photograph posted on social media by a lawmaker and shown on TV channels.
As soon as the duo entered the House during the Zero Hour, one of them was seen leaping over the benches while the other dangled from the public gallery, spraying some kind of gas substance. This led to chaos and confusion inside the House.
What Lawmakers told TV channels?
Lawmakers told TV channels that the intruder shouted some slogans they could not make out and there was a sound and some smoke.Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not in parliament at the time.TV channel said the intruder had smoke cans hidden in his shoes and lawmakers fled the chambers as the cans released smoke.TV channels showed the man jumping over two rows of lawmakers and trying to enter the aisles by evading security personnel. The man was later shown being taken away by police outside the building.
The lower house stopped proceedings soon after the incident but resumed business about an hour later.Speaker Om Birla told members that investigations had found that the smoke released by the man was “ordinary smoke, just to cause sensation”. Two people were arrested from inside the building and two from outside the complex, he said.
Birla assured lawmakers that the incident would be investigated and a report presented to the house. He then moved on to conducting business scheduled for the day.
The incident took place in the new, high-security parliament building inaugurated by Modi in May.In 2001, more than a dozen people, including five gunmen, were killed in an attack on the old building in the same complex, which New Delhi blames on Pakistan-based militants.
“I was expecting maybe they will blast something, shoot somewhere,” Sudip Bandyopadhyay, a Trinamool Congress lawmaker, told the ANI news agency in which Reuters has a minority stake.”This is a serious security lapse. How did they enter … releasing smoke, sound,” he said.Gaurav Gogoi, another lawmaker, said one of the two suspects was shouting slogans.”I feel there is a major flaw. There should be a proper inquiry. Lot more needs to be done,” Gogoi said
Two detained for protesting outside Parliament
A man and a woman were detained for protesting outside the Parliament building carrying cans that emitted a yellowish smoke, police said in New Delhi.
Identified as Neelam (42) and Amol Shinde (25), the two were detained in front of Transport Bhawan, police officials said, adding that further probe is underway.
Security has been beefed up in the area following the incident.