Screengrab of video showing security breach in Lok Sabha. The intruder is circled in red.
Credit: Sansad TV
New Delhi: Eight personnel were suspended in connection with the security breach in Parliament a day before even as the government on Thursday urged the Opposition “not to politicise" the "grave national issue" while admitting that it was a "serious" issue concerning the safety of MPs.
Sources said the eight personnel belonging to various security agencies were identified prima facie as responsible for the two youths managing to enter the Lok Sabha with gas canisters.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said there was no disagreement that the "unfortunate" incident was a "serious" one concerning the safety and security of lawmakers. He said the Speaker is the custodian of Parliament and he has taken proactive measures to address the issue.
Speaker Om Birla promptly held a meeting with floor leaders following the incident and listened to the suggestions for further strengthening Parliament security. Some of them were implemented, he said, adding that further measures will be taken to strengthen the security in the Parliament complex.
"In my opinion, this matter concerns all of us and we have to speak in one voice. On such a grave national issue, no politics is expected to be done by anyone," he said, urging all MPs to rise above party politics.
Listing past incidents of security breach in Parliament, he said slogan-shouting, throwing of papers and jumping from the gallery have happened in the past also while insisting that he was not comparing past incidents and defending Wednesday's incident. "But we have to learn lessons from the past," he said.
Joshi said on April 11, 1974, one person shouted slogans from the visitors' gallery, besides carrying two pistols, one object looking like a bomb and some pamphlets. He said that on July 26, 1974, a person was caught with a dagger trying to enter the visitors' gallery.
On 26 November, 1974, a person carried an explosive and a dagger to the visitors' gallery while in other incidents on January 9 and 10 of 1999, two people jumped from the public gallery to the Lok Sabha chamber, Joshi said.
He said the security of the Parliament House complex is under the purview of the Speaker and in the past also all such matters have been dealt with as per the directions of the Speaker.
"This incident is clearly a grave contempt of this House and this House is at liberty to deal with it as per the Constitution and the rules of procedure of the conduct of business," Joshi said, adding appropriate agencies will be dealing with this incident as per the law of the land.
A probe by the Home Ministry has already begun after the Speaker wrote to the Home Secretary.