TMC’s Gokhale Demands Shah’s Statement On Parliament Security Breach
Dec 18, 2023 | Pratirodh Bureau
On the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack on December 13 -- two persons named Manoranjan D and Sagar Sharma -- jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour, released yellow gas from canisters and shouted slogans before being overpowered by the MPs
On Sunday, Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale demanded a detailed statement from Home Minister Amit Shah over the Parliament security breach, saying the the INDIA bloc wants BJP MP Pratap Simha expelled. Gokhale also accused the government of disrupting the House proceedings.
Gokhale also said, “All that INDIA MPs are asking for in the Parliament is that the Home Minister Shah must come and address both the Houses and there must be a discussion on the issue. They should expel the BJP MP Pratap Simha who compromised the security of Parliament.”
He said, “They are just running away,” and added that the government wants to disrupt Parliament which is why they are not agreeing to address this serious issue.
INDIA bloc MPs, the opposition, have been demanding a detailed discussion on the security breach inside Parliament.
Coinciding with the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack, on December 13, two people jumped from the visitor’s gallery of Lok Sabha during the Zero Hour proceedings and also sprayed yellow color smoke.
They were apprehended by the security personnel and MPs and handed over to Delhi Police. Police also arrested two more people from outside Parliament. So far, police have arrested atleast six people in connection with the case.
On Thursday and Friday, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed several adjournments over the demands of the opposition. Fourteen MPs — 1 from the Rajya Sabha and 13 from the Lok Sabha — were suspended for the remainder of the session.
The 2001 Indian Parliament on 13 December 2001 was carried out by five armed assailants, that resulted in the deaths of six Delhi Police personnel, two Parliament Security Service personnel, and a gardener. All the five attackers were killed by security forces.
Indian authorities accused Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) – two militant groups operating from Pakistan – of perpetrating the attack; however, LeT denied involvement. The incident led to increased tensions between India and Pakistan, resulting in the 2001–2002 India–Pakistan standoff.
On 13 December, five militants drove into the House of Parliament in a car with Home Ministry and Parliament labels. While both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha had been adjourned 40 minutes prior to the incident, many members of parliament (MPs) and government officials such as Home Minister LK Advani and Minister of State for Defence Harin Pathak were believed to have still been in the building at the time of the attack.
More than 100 people, including major politicians, were inside the parliament building at the time. The gunmen used a fake identity sticker on the car they drove and thus easily breached the security deployed around the parliamentary complex. The militants carried AK-47 rifles, grenade launchers, pistols and grenades.
The gunmen drove their vehicle into the car of the Indian Vice President Krishan Kant (who was in the building at the time), got out, and began shooting. The Vice President’s guards and security personnel shot back at the attackers and then started closing the gates of the compound. A similar attack was carried out on the assembly of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, in November 2001, killing 38 people.
Constable Kamlesh Kumari of the Central Reserve Police Force was the first to spot the militants and was shot by them as she raised the alarm. She died on the spot. One gunman’s suicide vest exploded when he was shot dead; the other four gunmen were also killed. The ministers and MPs escaped unhurt. The total number of people killed by the attackers was 9 and at least 17 other people were injured in the attack.