Parliament security breach: five arrested; search on for 1 more
The Delhi Police suspects the involvement of six people and all of them were staying in Gurugram
In a major security breach on the anniversary of the December 13, 2001 Parliament attack, two persons on Wednesday jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery and opened canisters that emitted a yellow-coloured smoke, triggering panic among the MPs.
The two intruders jumped from public gallery number four at around 1 pm when Zero Hour was in progress. They also shouted slogans like 'Tanashahi nahi chalegi' (dictatorship will not be allowed). Outside Parliament, two individuals, including a woman, were detained for protesting using cans that released colour smoke, the police said. The two persons were overpowered by the Lok Sabha members and the watch and ward staff.
The Delhi Police suspects six people were involved, and five have been arrested so far. The accused have been identified as Amol Shinde, Neelam, Sagar Sharma, Manoranjan, Lalit and Vishal.
All six were known to each other and stayed in a house in Gurugram. Amol and Neelam -- caught outside the Parliament -- and Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D -- held inside the Lok Sabha chamber -- are in police custody. Vishal has been detained from Gurugram, and a hunt is on to nab Lalit.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said a thorough investigation of the incident has been ordered and necessary instructions have been issued to the Delhi Police. As per preliminary reports there was no dangerous chemical in the yellow smoke or in the canisters recovered from the protestors who had jumped into the Lok Sabha well from the visitors’ gallery during Zero Hour, he said.
(With Agency inputs)
Parties of the Opposition INDIA bloc will hold a meeting on Thursday morning to discuss their future course of action on the security breach in Parliament, and are considering meeting President Droupadi Murmu over the issue.
Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay announced that the opposition parties will meet at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence on Thursday morning to discuss the issue.
Sources said Opposition leaders are considering seeking statements from the government in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the security breach. They are also considering meeting President Murmu over the issue.
Opposition parties will jointly decide the future course of action, a source said.
On Wednesday, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla called a meeting of leaders of all parties in the House, after 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.
Family members of Sagar Sharma, one of the two men who jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery on Wednesday, said he left home here a few days ago to attend a "protest" in Delhi.
However, the family said they are unaware about his involvement in the Parliament security breach.
Sharma is a resident of Ramnagar under Manak Nagar police station limits in Lucknow, police said.
Two persons, including Sharma, jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitors' gallery during Zero Hour and released yellow gas from canisters and shouted slogans before being overpowered by MPs. The two protesters are now in the custody of Delhi Police.
"I heard my brother telling my mother that he was going to Delhi to attend a protest a few days ago," said Sharma's minor sister.
"My brother would drive an e-rickshaw. He earlier used to work in Bengaluru," the sister added.
Shiv Managal Singh, Station House Officer of Manak Nagar police station, said, "Sagar Sharma (28), along with his sister and parents, lived in a rented house in Ramnagar area. His father Roshan Lal is a carpenter. The family has been living in the rented house for over a decade." Sharma would drive an e-rickshaw, the SHO said.
"The family members have denied having any knowledge of his involvement in the Lok Sabha incident. We are trying to gather preliminary information from them," he added.
A police team was seen at Sharma's residence speaking to his family members.
Neighbours and journalists swarmed the house on Wednesday evening after hearing about Sharma's involvement in the incident.
Police have been deployed at the house to ensure law and order, officials said.
At least six people were involved in attack bid, says PTI report.
Read the report here:
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is likely to write to the Home Ministry seeking a security review of Parliament after two persons jumped into the lower house chamber from the public gallery on Wednesday and opened smoke canisters.
Birla conveyed this to leaders of political parties at a meeting convened to discuss the incident in Lok Sabha when Zero Hour submissions were being made by members, parliamentary sources said.
At the all-party meeting, Trinamool Congress cited the expulsion of its MP Mahua Moitra and demanded action against BJP member Prathap Simha, who had facilitated the entry of at least one person who jumped in the Lok Sabha chamber.
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the members flagged various lapses in the security set-up during the meeting with the Speaker
The father of one of the two men who jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber on Wednesday claimed his son is honest and truthful and always desired to do good for the society.
Devaraje Gowda, father of Manoranjan, said his son was a "good boy." "My son is a good boy. He is honest and truthful. His only desire is to do good for society and sacrifice for the society. He used to read Swami Vivekananda's books. I think he developed such thoughts after reading these books," Gowda said.
"It is difficult to understand what was running in his mind. My son completed his BE (Bachelor in Engineering) in 2016 and was looking after the farm. He also worked in some firms in Delhi and Bengaluru," he added.
Manoranjan and another person, Sagar Sharma jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the pubic gallery and released yellow-coloured smoke from canisters, triggering panic among the Members of Parliament.
Visitors at the public gallery of Lok Sabha on Wednesday said the two protesters who jumped into the House's chamber were sitting quietly and disrupted the proceedings "all of a sudden".
A witness sitting at the public gallery said that while some Lok Sabha MPs were chasing the protesters, a smoke canister was thrown by one of them inside the House.
"The protesters were not chanting any slogans while being seated at the public gallery and jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber all of a sudden," the eyewitness said.
"The moment the protesters jumped into the House's chamber, the MPs tried chasing them. The protesters also threw a smoke canister there. During the incident, we were evacuated as per security instructions," he said.
According to witnesses, around 30 to 40 visitors were seated at the gallery of Lok Sabha when the "security breach" took place.
"It was shocking to see such kind of an incident inside Parliament, despite five layers of security," another eyewitness said.
Narayan Swami, one of the eyewitnesses, claimed that 23 of them had gathered outside Parliament after acquiring passes to visit the gallery of the House, but they were denied entry.
"We had visitors' pass but were not allowed entry," Swami claimed.
The area around the Parliament was turned into a fortress following the two incidents with paramilitary and police personnel deployed in large numbers.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla says, "The incident that happened today is a topic of concern for all of us & is serious as well...A high-level investigation is being done & accordingly action will be taken. A comprehensive review will be done regarding the security in the House...House is adjourned till 11:00 am tomorrow..."
Terming the security breach in Parliament on Wednesday an “affront to our democratic values”, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal demanded strict and swift action against the two men who entered the Lok Sabha and opened canisters that emitted yellow-coloured smoke.
“Today’s breach in Parliament, on the solemn anniversary of the 2001 attack, is an affront to our democratic values. The security of our temple of democracy cannot be compromised,” Kejriwal said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.