NEW DELHI: Two men intruded into the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, releasing yellow smoke from canisters in what is being seen as a major security breach on a day that marked the anniversary of a Dec 13, 2001 terror attack on the Indian parliament.

The men jumped from the visitor’s gallery hours after leaders and lawmakers led the nation in paying tribute to security personnel who died in the 2001 attack. They were quoted as raising slogans against the government. Curiously, the passes that enabled them to be in the gallery were sanctioned by a BJP MP from Mysore.

Parliament security staff took the duo — identified as Sagar Sharma, 25, from Lucknow and Manoranjan D, 35, from Mysore — into custody after they were caught by MPs, who also roughed up one of the intruders, reporters said.

Two others — Neelam Singh, 42, from Hisar in Haryana and Amol Shinde, 25, from Latur in Maharashtra — were arrested from a spot near Parliament House where they too opened smoke canisters soon after the incident in Lok Sabha.

Intruders raise slogan of ‘dictatorship unacceptable’, set off smoke canisters; BJP MP said to have secured their entry into Lok Sabha

A search was on for their associate, identified as Lalit Jha, who was carrying their identity cards and mobile phones, police said, adding that it was Jha who had taken the four to a friend’s house in Gurgaon after they arrived in New Delhi three days ago.

The two men held in Lok Sabha were seated in the visitors’ gallery and TV footage showed them jumping from desk to desk. That the attackers did not apparently bear Muslim names would make it difficult to characterise the intrusion as a terrorist attack.

Members present in the lower house later told reporters that the two men were chanting slogans such as “tanashahi nahi chalegi” (dictatorship won’t be accepted).

When proceedings resumed, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said: “This is a serious incident. Therefore, a high-level probe is being conducted. Based on the probe’s findings, action will be taken.

A detailed review of the existing security arrangements inside the Parliament House will also be taken up. All party leaders and MPs have requested for that. How it can be improved further… made foolproof.“

The 2001 attack also took place during the BJP’s watch and the car used by the gunmen who breached security at the time carried a home ministry security pass, according to reports. The attack was blamed on Pakistan, after which diplomats were expelled by both countries, leading to a military build-up.

MP Rajendra Agarwal, who was presiding over the house when the incident occurred, said he saw one person falling from the visitors’ gallery, and simultaneously, another man jumping on the desks.

After the incident, Lok Sabha legislator Danish Ali said that a visitor’s pass showed that one of the intruders is named Sagar Sharma, adding that he was recommended entry into parliament by BJP MP from Mysore Pratap Simha.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2023