In a startling echo of the past, the Indian Parliament witnessed a significant security breach on Wednesday, exactly 22 years after the harrowing attack of December 13, 2001.
The incident raised serious concerns about the safety protocols in one of the nation's most secure buildings.
Nine people were killed and a number of others injured when five armed men attacked the Indian Parliament in 2001. The attackers, armed with AK-47 rifles, grenade launchers, pistols, and grenades, had breached security using a car with fake government labels. That attack, attributed to the Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba groups (both designated as terrorist organizations by the United States), had profound implications, including heightened tensions between India and Pakistan back in 2001.
Fast forward to today, and the newly inaugurated high-security parliament building in New Delhi was the scene of a startling intrusion. Two individuals, later identified as Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D., breached security by jumping into the chamber of the Lok Sabha, or lower house of parliament, from the visitors' gallery.
The motive for the intrusion is under investigation.
The visitor pass for one of the intruders, Sagar Sharma, was issued under the name of Pratap Simha, a member of parliament from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party representing Mysore, a photo made public by another member of parliament, Danish Ali, showed.
This connection has brought additional scrutiny to the security protocols in place, given that an elected representative's vouching facilitated the breach. Newsweek tried reaching out to Simha for a comment, but his numbers are all turned off.
This act led to the immediate adjournment of the session. The intruders were reportedly carrying canisters emitting yellow smoke, leading to chaos and panic among the members present.
The situation was swiftly brought under control, and four individuals were detained in connection with the incident: the two who breached the Lok Sabha were arrested, and two others protesting outside the parliament with colored smoke identified as Neelam (42) and Amol Shinde (25) were detained in front of Transport Bhawan, the Road Transport Ministry. Police are looking for two further people believed to be involved in the incident, a local news agency said.
No injuries were reported and the Lok Sabha resumed its session an hour later.
The security breach has been widely condemned, with several lawmakers and political leaders emphasizing the need for a rigorous review of security measures.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla addressed the members, informing them that the smoke released during the incident was found to be "ordinary smoke, just to cause sensation." He assured the lawmakers that the incident would be thoroughly investigated and a report would be presented to the House.
New security measures will be put in place in parliament as a result of the security breach, parliamentary sources told Newsweek.
Sudip Bandyopadhyay, a Trinamool Congress lawmaker, expressed his shock and concern over the breach, saying: "I was expecting maybe they will blast something, shoot somewhere." He highlighted the incident as a serious security lapse, questioning how the perpetrators were able to enter and release smoke and sound.
Gaurav Gogoi, another lawmaker, pointed out that one of the suspects was shouting slogans. He emphasized the need for a proper inquiry into the incident, indicating a major flaw in the security arrangements.
The security breach led to a significant political response in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament. Mallikarjun Kharge, the leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, raised concerns about the incident and requested an adjournment of the House for the home minister to provide more details on the matter.
In response, Piyush Goyal, the leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, emphasized the importance of continuing the House proceedings. He suggested that the Rajya Sabha, as the "House of Elders," should convey a message of the country's strength and resilience in the face of such incidents. Goyal criticized the opposition Indian National Congress party for politicizing the issue, arguing that it sends a negative message to the country.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
