BJP MP meets LS speaker for issuing pass to intruder
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Pratap Simha, under whose name a visitor pass was issued to one of the individuals who jumped into the Lok Sabha chambers, reportedly met House Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday. According to India Today, Simha told Birla that the father of the accused, Sagar Sharma, is from his Mysuru constituency and had requested the pass to visit the new Parliament building.
Why does this story matter?
In a major security breach, two men—identified as Manoranhan D and Sharma—jumped from the visitors' gallery into the well of the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Outside the Parliament premises, two more protesters, Neelam Azad and Amol Shinde, sprayed colored gas and shouted slogans. The incident occurred on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack.
Here's what Simha told Birla
During his meeting with Birla, the saffron brigade leader reportedly said he was constantly in touch with his personal assistant and office so that Sharma could visit Parliament. Simha also informed the Lok Sabha speaker that he had no further information besides what had already been shared. So far, five of the accused have been apprehended, while the sixth is still at large.
Who is BJP MP Simha?
The 47-year-old BJP MP represents Karnataka's Mysore-Kodagu constituency in the Lok Sabha and is a popular saffron brigade leader who won both the Lok Sabha polls in 2014 and 2019. Before making his political debut in the 2014 elections, the journalist-turned-politician worked with the news outlet Kannada Prabha. A year later in 2015, Simha was appointed as a Press Council of India member.
6 people involved in Parliament security breach: Delhi Police
Right after the incident, the Delhi Police confirmed that six individuals were involved in the conspiracy. The Delhi Police's special cell is investigating the Parliament security breach under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Sections 120B and 452 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Meanwhile, security protocols for the new Parliament building have been changed following the breach to reduce any contact between the MPs and visitors.
Security breach happened on 2001 Parliament attack anniversary
It is worth noting that Wednesday's security breach came on the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack. Five terrorists with links to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) entered the Parliament House complex on December 13, 2001. While the terrorists killed eight security personnel and a gardener, 15 others also suffered injuries in the attack.
