15 Opposition members suspended over protests against Parliament security breach

Fifteen Opposition members were suspended from Parliament on Thursday following protests against the security breach a day earlier involving two intruders, who jumped into Lok Sabha from the visitors’ gallery and sprayed smoke in a major security breach. The intrusion on the anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attack on Parliament sparked questions about laxity in security.

In Lok Sabha, parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi urged the lawmakers against politicising the issue as they demanded Union home minister Amit Shah’s resignation over the breach. He moved a motion to first suspend five Congress members Jothimani, Hibi Eden, TN Prathapan, Kumari Ramya Haridas and Dean Kuriakose for the rest of the session for “misconduct”. The motion accused the members of “utter disregard to the House and the authority of the Chair”.

Joshi asked the Opposition to rise about partisan politics and “speak in one voice”. He said it has become the habit of some members to politicise all the issues as Opposition members continued raising slogans against the government and demanding answers over the breach from Shah.

Nine more Opposition members—Manickam Tagore, K Kanimozhi, PR Natarajan, Md Jawaid, VK Sreekandan, S Venkatesan, Benny Behanan, K Subbarayan, and SR Parthiban— were later suspended for the rest of the session.

Of the 14 suspended members, nine belong to the Congress, two each to the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, and one to the Communist Party of India.

Joshi sought the continuation of the business, saying many members had prepared to speak on important bills including the three seeking to replace the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Indian Evidence Act.

He cited security breaches in Parliament in 1974 and 1999 while saying he was not drawing any comparisons to “defend” the latest breach but because Parliament must “learn a lesson” from the past on how to deal with such issues.

Joshi appreciated Speaker Om Birla for promptly calling a meeting of the floor leaders and taking their suggestions for strengthening the security. He said some of the suggestions have been implemented.

Joshi said the security agencies were dealing with the breach and an inquiry has been initiated. “The Speaker will deal with the matter with great sensitivity like previous Speakers did after the past incidents. The government is also very sensitive to this issue,” he said.

In Rajya Sabha, Trinamool Congress’s Derek O’Brien was suspended for allegedly disregarding chairman Jagdeep Dhankar’s directions and continuing to protest demanding a discussion on the security breach.

The Lok Sabha secretariat earlier on Wednesday suspended eight security personnel for lapses. Officials familiar with the matter said the suspensions were ordered based on preliminary findings that the two intruders, Sagar Sharma, 27, and Manoranjan D, 34, managed to hide gas canisters inside their shoes, which means frisking was not properly done.

Sharma and Manoranjan D shouted slogans and released yellow smoke before parliamentarians and security staff overpowered and dragged them away. Outside Parliament, Neelam Singh, 37, and Amol Shinde, 24, shouted slogans such as, “Bharat Mata ki jai” and “Jai Bhim”.

The Delhi Police’s Special Cell and central intelligence agencies were interrogating the four as they were booked under the stringent anti-terror Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

The Union home ministry has ordered a Central Reserve Police Force chief Anish Dayal Singh-led probe into the breach, and to identify lapses, and recommend action. “The committee will submit its report with recommendations, including suggestions on improving security in Parliament, at the earliest,” said an official.

Only parliamentary staff and those working in nearby offices with valid identity cards were allowed to access the road between Parliament and the Red Cross building in central Delhi as part of tightened security arrangements.

At least two security checkpoints were put up on the road even as no visitors will be allowed from Thursday. Journalists were prevented from standing outside barricaded Makar Dwar from where the lawmakers enter and exit the House.

Officials and staff of ministers and lawmakers will also not be allowed to use the Makar Dwar. It will be exclusively for the use of members of Parliament.

The intruders cleared three layers of security and gained access to the visitors’ gallery using guest passes. Bharatiya Janata Party member Pratap Simha signed the passes, according to a preliminary investigation.

The four perpetrators, an e-rickshaw driver, a farmer, a government job aspirant, and a daily wage labourer, along with a fifth absconding conspirator identified as Lalit Jha, planned the intrusion to protest against the government, unemployment, and price rise, said police.

Lok Sabha secretary-general Utpal Kumar Singh wrote a letter to the home ministry seeking a detailed security review. This will be the second such exercise in 22 years.

At the all-party meeting, the Opposition leaders pushed the government for a detailed statement on the issue. They also raised concerns about Sharma and Manoranjan passing through three layers of checks—the outer gate of the Parliament complex, the visitors’ gate of the new building, and the final round of frisking near the gallery—with plastic canisters.

The two men overstayed their allotted one-hour slot before leaping into the House without getting noticed.