Parliament security team meets Dhankhar, Birla, requests not to be moved out of Delhi

A source said last month, some senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs met senior CISF officers, who made a presentation of their Parliament security plan to them.

Some discussions on the future course of action for the personnel of Parliament Security Service is also learnt to have taken place.

Currently, the entire security process — right from managing security arrangements to issuing passes to regulating movement of MPs, VIPs, officials and the media — is overseen by the Parliament Security Service, which functions under the almost century-old Watch and Ward committee.

“A few days ago, a team of 15-20 officers of the Parliament Security Service met Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. We recently learnt about the meeting of MHA (officials) and came to know that they are planning to merge our around 550 personnel with Delhi police and other agencies. We have made a request (to Dhankhar and Birla) not to send anyone (officer) outside Delhi,” an officer said.

A part of the Parliament security was taken over by the CISF in the wake of a security breach by two persons, who entered Parliament Hall and threw smoke canisters on December 13 last year.

After the incident, the Centre asked the CISF to carry out a survey of the Parliament premises for regular deployment on a comprehensive pattern. After conducting a detailed survey, the CISF sent a contingent of 140 personnel for training on Parliament premises before the Budget Session and they, along with the Delhi Police, started frisking visitors and their baggage.

Last month, the Lok Sabha Secretariat asked the Delhi Police to withdraw 150 personnel from the security of the Parliament complex.

Later, the police’s Security Unit removed them and they were replaced by CISF personnel from April 29.

Earlier this month, 1,500 personnel of Parliament Duty Group (PDG) of the CRPF were also replaced by the CISF. “It has also been decided to remove all the personnel of Parliament Security Service and for this, a survey will be conducted. Their strength is also less as for the last many years, there was no fresh recruitment,” a source said.