Parliament witnessed a major breach of security on Wednesday, December 13, on the 22nd anniversary of the Parliament attack. Two individuals, armed with smoke canisters, breached the premises by jumping from the visitors' gallery and entering the House chamber.
Videos from the Lok Sabha captured a man vaulting over desks, while the other person, situated in the visitors' gallery, released the smoke canister. Members inside the House said that the intruders were shouting slogans like "Tanashahi nahi chalegi" (dictatorship will not be tolerated). Both individuals were subsequently detained.
Here’s what we know so far
The parliamentary session commenced today with leaders from various political parties, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, and Sonia Gandhi, paying homage to the martyrs of the 2001 Parliament attack. Zero hour began, and it was during this time that this alarming incident unfolded.
Two individuals jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery, with smoke canisters. Video footage revealed one person navigating from desk to desk, advancing toward the Well of the House. Members of the Lok Sabha and ward staff swiftly subdued the intruders.
One of the intruders has been identified as Sagar Sharma. He had a visitor’s pass issued by BJP MP Pratap Simha from Karnataka’s Mysuru.
Simultaneously, outside the Parliament building, two more people—a man and a woman—were detained. They were found carrying cans emitting yellowish smoke and were shouting slogans like "Bharat Mata ki Jai, Tanashahi bandh karo (stop the dictatorship), Tanashahi nahi chalegi (dictatorship won't work), Jai Bheem Jai Bharat, Save Constitution."
Read: Security breach in Parliament: Two men jump into Lok Sabha, open smoke canisters
Agitated MPs questioned the Lok Sabha Speaker how the intruders entered the Parliament on a day when security was at its highest. Many also asked how the canisters could have gone unnoticed. Any visitor into the Parliament is physically frisked at two places and has to go through a metal detector gate.
“What if it was poisonous gas,” asked Congress MP Karti Chidambaram.