TMC calls Parliament security breach ‘major intelligence failure’

Questioning the Ministry of Home Affairs about the security breach in the new Parliament building on Wednesday, Trinamool Congress (TMC) has alleged that such lapses have become a repeated offence under the BJP-led-Central government while demanding immediate action and a thorough probe into the matter.

Ironically, the breach took place on a day when the Indian Parliament was observing the 22nd anniversary of a deadly terror attack on the old Parliament building in 2001.

Two persons, on Wednesday, jumped from the visitors’ gallery into the Lok Sabha chamber. The duo was carrying canisters in their hands which subsequently released a yellow smoke inside the Lower House of the new Parliament building.

Commenting on the incident, TMC leader Chandrima Bhattacharya said that Wednesday’s attack has revealed how vulnerable the security arrangement is at the new Parliament building. She alleged that it has come to light that the two intruders who jumped into Lok Sabha with smoke canisters were issued a visitor pass signed by BJP’s Karnataka MP Pratap Simha.

She said: “BJP MPs had accused and expelled TMC MP Mahua Moitra of causing an alleged threat to national security by sharing her Parliament login ID and password. What answers do they have now when two intruders broke into Lok Sabha with a visitor’s pass signed by a BJP MP? Will BJP now expel this MP? What is the reaction of the Lok Sabha Speaker now and what steps will be taken against this MP?”

TMC MPs Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Saket Gokhale too echoed similar concerns and termed the incident as a “major intelligence failure”. They said that the incident could have paved the way for fatal consequences had the canisters contained poisonous gas killing people inside the Parliament.

They demanded immediate action against the BJP MP Pratap Simha and a thorough probe into the security breach.

TMC wrote on its X handle: “POTENTIAL INSIDER INVOLVEMENT! It has come to light that the visitor’s pass belonging to Sagar Sharma, one of the 4 individuals who breached security and entered Lok Sabha, was issued from the office of @BJP4Karnataka MP@mepratap. So, not only did@AmitShah’s Delhi Police fail to anticipate the invasion and prevent it but it might very well be a @BJP4India leader who actually facilitated the attack. It’s imperative for authorities to investigate this matter with the utmost urgency and transparency. The sanctity of the Parliament is NON-NEGOTIABLE!”

On the morning of December 13, 2001, five terrorists entered Parliament House Complex around 11:40 am in an ambassador car fitted with a red light and a forged Home Ministry sticker on the car’s windshield.

Subsequently, the terrorists had opened fire. Although all five of them were later gunned down by security forces, about nine people died and about 18 were injured. The mastermind of the terror attack Afzal Guru was later hanged to death.