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Fourteen MPs suspended in storm over Lok Sabha security breach
The developments came a day after two men walked through three layers of security with smoke canisters stuffed in their shoes
The alarming breach of security at the highest seat of Indian democracy rocked both Houses of Parliament on Thursday as a defiant government clashed with an aggressive Opposition demanding an explanation for the brazen incursion, prompting the suspension of 14 Opposition members and a washout of proceedings amid angry protests.
As Parliament reconvened at 11am, Opposition members started shouting slogans, and stormed to the Well of the House to demand Union home minister Amit Shah’s statement on the glaring lapses exposed on Wednesday. High drama ensued, leading to the suspension of Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien in the Rajya Sabha and 13 members from the Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Left parties from the Lok Sabha.
This elicited howls of protest from the Opposition that argued that the government was attempting to brazen out what was a serious breach of security. In the evening, the suspension of a member – DMK lawmaker SR Parthiban – who was not present in the House was revoked.
Read Here: Suspended MPs stage sit-in protest in Parliament
The developments came a day after two men walked through three layers of security with smoke canisters stuffed in their shoes, vaulted into the Lok Sabha from the visitors’ gallery, and sprayed smoke. The attack – which came on the anniversary the 2001 terror strike on Parliament –sparked troubling questions about laxity in security protocols and glaring gaps in lessons learnt.
Even as the police attempted to piece together how an e-rickshaw driver, a farmer, a government job aspirant, a tutor, and a daily wage labourer mounted the daring plan, a new and tightened security protocol was rolled out in Parliament. The main gate for lawmakers was sanitised, visitors were barred and additional security hands ensured intense frisking — including the removal of shoes in some cases.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a top-level meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh, Bharatiya Janata Party chief JP Nadda, parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi and information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur, said officials aware of developments, adding that the attack on the Lok Sabha was discussed.
In the Lok Sabha, Singh argued how security lapses had happened earlier and Joshi maintained that the “grave national issue” should not be politicised.
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Both ministers highlighted the ongoing security review and said some new measures were already put in place.
“There is no doubt that whatever happened on Wednesday was very unfortunate. You (Speaker) immediately took cognisance and ordered a probe. In future, all MPs, from the ruling or the Opposition side, would have to be extra careful. We must not give passes to such people who can create anarchy,” Singh said, in what was the first response of the government on the breach inside the House. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, too, asserted that the security of the House was “the responsibility of the secretariat”.
But the Opposition remained unimpressed. “The breach of Parliament security…is a very grave matter unparalleled in the recent past. In view of the gravity of the matter, myself in consultation with floor leaders of INDIA parties in Parliament have come to a considered view that the matter is of such a critical importance that it needs to be raised under Rule 267 of the Rules and Procedure of Council of States (Rajya Sabha),” leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, said in a letter to Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar.
The day began with sloganeering by Opposition members who rushed to the well and demanded a statement from Shah. But defence minister Singh countered them.
“I want to bring to your notice that in the old building too, such incidents of throwing papers, sloganeering or jumping into the House has happened before. All of us must come together and condemn the incident. You have shared with us the [initial] probe report and also sought to know the possible precautions in the future. I don’t think such disruptions in the House have any validity,” he said. Birla reminded the MPs that parliamentary secretariat held the jurisdiction in the parliament premise.
Read Here: 6 people behind Lok Sabha security breach, knew each other, carried out recce, says Police
“As the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, everyone’s security is my responsibility,” he said, adding that he would again sit with party leaders to find out solutions.
But the Opposition was undeterred. Congress Lok Sabha floor leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury maintained that Singh should not “dilute such grave security breaches” to what happened in the old Parliament building.
When the House met at 2pm, Joshi hit back at the Opposition.
“The Speaker also observed this morning that further measures will be taken in future to strengthen the security of Parliament. In my opinion, this matter concerns us all and we have to speak in one voice on such a grave national issue. No politics is required to be done by anyone on such issues.”
He also narrated past instances of security breach in Parliament and said, “Many such incidents have taken place in the past. I am not comparing past incidents and defending today’s incident. But we have to learn lessons from our past for the bright future.”
Read Here | ‘Big security lapse’: MPs slam ‘intrusion’ in Lok Sabha, demand probe
Soon after, Joshi brought a motion to suspend five Congress MPs — Hibi Eden, Dean Kuriakose, Ramya Haridas, TN Prathapan, and S Jothimani -- for the remainder of the session for “utter disregard to the House and the authority of the Chair.”
After the House met at 3pm, Joshi moved another motion to suspend Congress members Mohammad Jawed, V. K. Sreekandan, Benny Behanan, Manickam Tagore, Communist Party of India (Marxist) members PR Natarajan and S Venkatesan, DMK’s K Kanimozhi, and Communist Party of India lawmaker K. Subbarayan from the remaining six days of the winter session on the same grounds.
In the Rajya Sabha, O’Brien was named by Dhankhar for “ignoble conduct”. All 14 suspended MPs refused to leave the House, forcing an adjournment for the day.
Congress leader KC Venugopal told reporters that the lawmaker who signed the visitors pass for the intruders – BJP lawmaker Pratap Simha -- was still allowed to attend the House, but MPs who were demanding a reply from the government were suspended.
