Parl security breach: LoP Kharge writes to Dhankhar, demands Shah statement

NEW DELHI: Congress national president and the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, on Thursday wrote to the chairman of the Upper House, Jagdeep Dhankhar, over the major security breach in the new Parliament complex on Wednesday.

In his letter Vice President Dhankhar, the LoP in the Upper House labelled the breach in Parliament security as a grave matter, demanding that Union Home Minister Amit Shah make a statement on the issue following which a discussion should happen under Rule 267.

"The breach of Parliament security which occurred on 13th December 2023 in the Lok Sabha Chamber and the Parliament precincts is a very grave matter unparalleled in the recent past. In view of the gravity of the matter, myself in consultation with floor leaders of INDIA Parties in Parliament have come to a considered view that the matter is of such critical importance that it needs to be raised under Rule 267 of the Rules and Procedure of Council of States (Rajya Sabha)," Kharge wrote in his letter.

"Further, till the Minister of Home Affairs makes a statement on this matter followed by a discussion under Rule 267, there is no occasion for taking up any other business in the House or even for any meeting to "sort out this matter" in any other manner," he stated.

Earlier in the day, Opposition leaders met in the chamber of the LoP, Rajya Sabha to discuss the Parliament security breach. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the Opposition members decided to raise the security breach strongly in both the Houses.

"Proper security arrangements should have been made before shifting the members to the new parliament building. Despite such a massive security breach, neither the PM nor the Home Minister has made any statement. There should be a discussion on this. There was a glaring intelligence failure. PM Modi and Amit Shah could have apprised our MP (on steps being taken in the wake of the breach). He caught one of the cansters," Chowdhury said.

"If they can't secure the members in Parliament, how can they assure the security of the country? We have also been raising the issue of unemployment," the Congress MP added.

Meanwhile, a case under multiple relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) was registered against the accused in connection with the Parliament security breach, police said on Thursday.

According to sources in the police, the absconding accused in the case, identified as Lalit Jha, sent a video clip of the breach to his NGO partner after committing the act.

So far, four people have been arrested in the case. Police informed that two more people, identified as Vicky and his wife, are being interrogated. The sixth accused, identified as Lalit Jha, is absconding, sources said.

Earlier, on Wednesday, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) ordered an inquiry into the security breach.

"On request from Lok Sabha Secretariat, MHA has ordered an inquiry into the Parliament security breach incident. An inquiry committee has been set up under Anish Dayal Singh, DG, CRPF, with members from other security agencies and experts," the Home Ministry said in its statement.

In an incident that came on the 22nd anniversary of the terror attack on Parliament in 2001, two unidentified persons jumped onto the floor of the Lok Sabha from the visitors' gallery during Zero Hour and set off smoke canisters while chanting slogans.

The intruders were seen in viral videos jumping from one desk to the other before being finally overpowered by some MPs.