In a dramatic incident that unfolded on the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack, the Lok Sabha faced a severe security breach as two individuals jumped into the House from the visitors’ gallery, triggering a wave of criticism from opposition leaders.
The breach occurred during the Lok Sabha’s Zero Hour proceedings when the two intruders entered the chamber and began to run around, creating chaos and confusion. In response, the Lok Sabha session was promptly suspended, and members of parliament started vacating the premises.
Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, expressed his deep concerns, saying, “Today itself, we paid floral tribute to our brave hearts who sacrificed their lives during the Parliament attack, and today itself there was an attack here inside the House. Does it prove that we failed to maintain a high level of security?… All the MPs fearlessly nabbed the two people, but I want to know where were the security officials when all of this happened?”
TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay described it as a “terrible experience” and questioned how the intruders managed to enter with devices releasing smoke. He noted, “Nobody could guess what was their target and why were they doing this. We all left the House immediately, but it was a security lapse.”
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram also weighed in, highlighting the gravity of the situation, “Suddenly two young men around 20 years old jumped into the House from the visitor’s gallery and had canisters in their hand. These canisters were emitting yellow smoke. One of them was attempting to run towards the Speaker’s chair. They were shouting some slogans. The smoke could have been poisonous. This is a serious breach of security especially on 13th December, the day when Parliament was attacked in 2001.”
Meanwhile, in response to the incident, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla informed the Parliament that both intruders had been apprehended, and the materials in their possession were seized. Additionally, the two individuals outside the Parliament were also arrested by the police.
He added, “A thorough investigation of the incident that took place during zero hour, is being done. Essential instructions have also been given to Delhi Police. In the primary investigation, it has been found that it was just a smoke and there is no need to worry about the smoke…”
