© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Fewer security staff, reduced height of the visitors’ gallery from the House floor in the new Parliament building, an increase in the number of visitors of late, and shoes not being checked — these are among factors that contributed to Wednesday’s Lok Sabha security breach, officials in the Parliament Security Services and Delhi Police told The Indian Express.
It is also learnt that the Delhi Police security wing had conducted a meeting to review security arrangements in and around Parliament. This was after Khalistan separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, on December 6, threatened to attack Parliament “on or before December 13”.
A senior police officer confirmed that a meeting was conducted and discussions were held to increase deployment, but said it was not connected to Pannun’s threat. Over the past month, Delhi Police has increased deployment from 250 personnel to 300.
According to sources in Delhi Police, Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D reached the visitors’ gallery shortly before 1 pm. The gallery — there are six in total — is located above where the MPs sit, and the front-most row is roughly 10-and-a-half feet above them.
This height is less than what it used to be in the earlier Parliament House which, officials said, enabled the men to jump. “There’s no significant barrier or wall to stop such a thing from happening,” an officer said.
Afterwards, in a meeting of the Lok Sabha Speaker and different floor leaders, a suggestion was made to install glass in front of the visitors’ galleries.
A personnel of the Parliament Security Services — it includes the CRPF and Delhi Police – told The Indian Express that they have been receiving “hundreds of visitors every day”, especially since the new Parliament was inaugurated, while the staff strength is limited.
Sources said 301 security officers are usually deployed inside Parliament, but on Wednesday, 176 were present.
“We have students and people coming in buses… We have to check the pass and ID of each one,” an officer said.
Another officer said the two men had hidden colour smoke canisters inside their shoes, which aren’t typically checked.
“We have scanners and metal detectors. There’s also frisking done at all points. However, we don’t usually check shoes… Prima facie, the smoke bombs appear to be made of plastic, so the machines didn’t pick them up,” an officer said, adding that the fact that the two men came on an MP’s recommendation also helped them get through the layers of security.
⚡ Best of Express | Read our full coverage of the Parliament security breach:
👉🏽 On the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack, a massive security breach took place in Lok Sabha, when two intruders leapt into the chamber from the visitors gallery and opened smoke cans. Meanwhile, outside the Parliament, two others were arrested for protesting with coloured smoke.
👉🏽 But how did they manage to dodge layers of security inside the Parliament House? We explain.
👉🏽 Since the incident, the entry of visitors in the House has now been suspended. As one would expect, jumping into the chamber of the House is not permitted under the Rules of the House. What do the rules say? Read our report.
👉🏽 Turns out, just a day before the security breach, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) floated a tender for additional security infrastructure, including gadgets and bulletproof barriers, for the Parliament complex. We break down the CPWD’s proposed project.
👉🏽 “I was at a vantage point, right outside the chamber from where more MPs rushed out – some anxious, the others agitated.” The Indian Express’ Deputy Editor Liz Mathew witnessed Wednesday’s intrusion from the media gallery of the Parliament. She recounts what happened.
