New Delhi:
The Union Home Ministry has ordered an inquiry into today’s parliament security breach. A committee has been set up under Anish Dayal Singh, the Director General of the Central Reserve Police Forces, with members from other security agencies and experts.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the ministry said the committee will investigate the reasons for breach in security, identify lapses and recommend further action.
“It will submit its report with recommendations, including suggestions on improving security in Parliament, at the earliest,” it added.
This afternoon, two men had carried in yellow canisters evading all security. During the parliament proceedings, one of them jumped into the Lok Sabha floor from the visitors’ gallery and activated the canisters, releasing thick yellow smoke.
The breach took place despite upgraded security at the new parliament, triggering a flood of questions on lapses and loopholes.
The multi-layered security around the building involves background checks, manual frisking, baggage check-in and other processes conducted by multiple agencies including the Delhi Police and the Central Reserve Police Forces.
There is suspicion that the men had hid the yellow smoke canisters inside their shoes, which security personnel frisking them must have missed.
The Opposition INDIA bloc has demanded that Prathap Simha, the BJP MP who signed the pass request for men who breached parliament security, be questioned. They have declared the security breach a terrorist act.
The police have arrested five persons – two from them from inside parliament and two from outside. Another person is yet to be traced.
Manoranjan D and Sagar Sharma were the two who had got into the visitors’ gallery. Two others, Amol Shinde and Neelam Devi, were detained from outside Parliament. They were carrying coloured smoke canisters.
Preliminary investigation has indicated that the four people who went to parliament today do not belong to any terror group. Sources said the chances are that they had self-radicalised.
