Two persons, who entered Lok Sabha and opened canisters that emitted yellow gas, have been identified as Sagar Sharma and Manirajan. The duo had come to the visitor’s gallery as the guests of Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Mysore Pratap Simha.
Following the security breach at the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, MP Danish Ali said that he apprehended Sharma inside the House and also discovered a pass indicating that he was a guest of BJP MP Pratap Simha.
According to PTI news agency, Manoranjan, one of the accused, introduced co-accused Sagar Sharma as a friend to the MP’s office and got passes issued to them on the pretext of watching the new Parliament. Manoranjan had been pursuing Simha and his office for the pass for over three months, reported PTI.
According to the “Practice and Procedure of Parliament” by M N Kaul and S L Shakdher, “a member can apply for issue of Visitors’ Cards only for those who are very well known to them personally.”
And while applying for visitors’ cards, members have to give a certificate saying “The above named visitor is my relative/personal friend/known to me personally and I take full responsibility for him/her.”
In a major security breach in Parliament on Wednesday, two men jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitors’ gallery and opened gas-emitting canisters.
Footage from the Lok Sabha’s CCTV showed one man jumping across desks to evade security personnel, and another spraying smoke from a canister. Both of them were later overpowered by MPs and security staff.
BJP MP Rajendra Agarwal, who was chairing the proceedings, adjourned the House till 2 pm.
Outside the Parliament complex, the Delhi Police also detained a man and a woman who were protesting with coloured smoke in front of the Transport Bhawan. They were identified as Neelam (42) and Amol Shinde (25).
The woman also shouted “stop dictatorship” slogans.
On being asked about the reason for her protest, Neelam alleged that the Union government does not allow the public to raise their voices against atrocities being committed on them.
“They lathi-charge us, imprison us and torture us,” she said as the police took her away.
“We are not associated with any organisation. We are students. We are unemployed. Our parents have worked hard but this government does not hear anybody,” she said.
Later in the afternoon, Speaker Om Birla said a preliminary investigation showed that the smoke from the canisters was harmless and not a cause for worry.
In the Rajya Sabha, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge urged chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar to adjourn the House and allow Home Minister Amit Shah to make a statement.
