NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reacted to the Parliament security breach incident, calling it a “serious” matter. The Prime Minister also reportedly urged political parties to refrain from politicising the issue as it is a matter of national security. PM Modi has earlier directed his senior ministers to take the security breach in Lok Sabha “seriously”. “Take this incident seriously. Don’t indulge in politicking. We have to all take precautions,” he is learnt to have told his ministers during a meeting on Thursday.
Lok Sabha’s security was breached on Wednesday when two intruders, managed to jump into the MPs’ sitting area from the visitors’ gallery and hurl colour-smoke bombs. After the attack, the Opposition launched a massive protest over the security breach and demanded the suspension of BJP MP Pratap Simha, who allegedly issued passes to the visitors.
The Opposition on Thursday demanded the suspension of business in Lok Sabha and a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the incident. The Opposition also sought to ask questions on the matter. However, the government is yet to take up the issue in the House.
While the government is yet to take up the issue, the MHA has ordered a high-level probe by a panel led by CRPF DG. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said that the incident has been condemned by all.
One More Arrested In Lok Sabha Security Breach Case
One more accused has been arrested in the Parliament security breach case and produced before Delhi’s Patiala House Court on Saturday. The arrested accused has been identified as Mahesh Kumavat, a friend of mastermind Lalit Jha. Six accused have been arrested in the case so far.
Jha met his friend Mahesh in Kuchaman, who got him a room for the night. Both of them had met through Facebook, as revealed by Jha during his interrogation. Lalit Jha burnt the mobile phones of his associates along with his friend Mahesh after fleeing to Rajasthan’s Kuchaman, said police sources.
However, Delhi police are verifying all the claims made by Jha. Jha was also present outside the parliament and captured the video of two of his accomplices with the intent to publicise it. Delhi Police has so far arrested six accused in the Parliament security breach case. Apart from this, the police have detained Kailash.
Five arrested accused are on a seven-day police remand, and being continuously interrogated by DCP level officers. During interrogation, Lalit told the police that he destroyed the mobile phone and threw it away.
The Special Cell Police will also recreate the scene for which they will need permission from the Speaker of Parliament. Police are following the procedure in an attempt to recreate the incident.
There are also reports that the police can record the statement of MP Pratap Simha on whose reference passes were issued to the two infiltrators Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D.
Despite continuous questioning of the five accused – mastermind Lalit Jha, Neelam, Amol, Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan, the police have still not been able to find out the motive.
The five accused were made to sit face to face and interrogated. The police had also recorded separate statements of the five. Wherever police are finding contradictions during the interrogation, they are asking them to answer those questions again.
The police have extracted the call details of the accused from their mobile numbers, and through that, the police are also trying to establish their locations wherever they visited before committing the crime and the places where they went together before the act.
Ahead of the incident, all four accused had handed over their mobile phones to Jha so that crucial investigation details could not get into police hands as they were anticipating their arrest.
The security breach happened on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack. Two people–Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D–jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour, released yellow gas from canisters and shouted anti-establishment slogans before being overpowered by the MPs. Outside it, in another incident, two protestors–Neelam (42) and Amol (25)–protested outside the Parliament with similar gas canisters.
