Security tightened; no visitors allowed day after Parliament security breach

Journalists were also not allowed to stand outside barricaded Makar Dwar from where the lawmakers enter and exit the House

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 a day after two men jumped into the Lok Sabha from the visitors’ gallery and sprayed smoke.

No visitors will be allowed from Thursday. (HT PHOTO)

At least two security checkpoints were put up on the road even as no visitors will be allowed from Thursday. Journalists were not allowed to stand 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 from Thursday. It will be exclusively for the use of Members of Parliament.

The intruders, Sagar Sharma, 27, and Manoranjan D, 34, cleared three layers of security with smoke canisters stuffed in their shoes. The breach of security in Parliament came hours after parliamentarians paid homage to those killed in the 2001 terrorist attack on Parliament.

Sharma and Manoranjan D shouted slogans and released yellow smoke before parliamentarians and security staff overpowered and dragged them away. Lok Sabha reconvened within 45 minutes even as the incursion on the anniversary of the 2001 attack sparked questions about laxity in security protocols and gaps.

Sharma and Manoranjan gained access to the visitors’ gallery using guest passes. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member Pratap Simha signed the passes, according to a preliminary investigation.

Outside Parliament, two other people, Neelam Singh, 37, and Amol Shinde, 24, shouted slogans such as, “Bharat Mata ki jai” and “Jai Bhim”. They were later detained.

The four people, 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, hatched a plan for the intrusion to raise their grievances about the government, unemployment, and price rise, said police.

The breach prompted Speaker Om Birla to call an urgent all-party meeting. House 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 managing to pass 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.