Parliament security breach: Neelam Azad was arrested during wrestlers' protest
Neelam Azad was arrested outside Transport Bhawan on Wednesday for an apparent security breach at the Parliament building. The incident, which also involved five other people, coincided with the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack. As the investigation continues, it has been reported that Azad previously participated in various protests, such as those involving farmers and wrestlers. She originally hails from Ghaso Khurd village in Jind district and belongs to the Kumhar (potter) community.
Azad holds multiple degrees
Azad reportedly holds multiple degrees, including an MA, M.Ed., and NET, amongst others. For the past six months, Neelam has been preparing for competitive exams while staying in a paying guest accommodation in Delhi. Speaking to ANI, her brother Ram Niwas mentioned that she once interviewed for a trained graduate teacher position in Delhi but wasn't selected due to bureaucratic issues. Commenting on the incident, he said that Azad had told them that she was going to Hisar, not Delhi.
Involvement in protests and rallies
In May, Azad was detained with wrestler Sakshi Malik's mother during a wrestlers' protest in New Delhi. She actively supported the farmer agitation in 2020-21 and sat with the protesters, per the Indian Express. Inspired by leaders like BR Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh, Neelam also distributed books on Singh and the Constitution and played a key role in establishing a library in her hometown. Notably, her father is a halwai (sweetmeat maker) and both her brothers run a dairy business.
Video shows Congress campaigning for Congress
She was very disappointed due to unemployment: Mother
Azad's mother, Saraswati, on the other hand, remarked that her daughter was very upset because of unemployment. "We are not a prosperous family but still we educated her. At home, she used to say 'I studied too much unnecessarily but did not get a job... It would be better if I die," said Saraswati. Meanwhile, local farm leader Azad Palwa came out in Azad's support. "The government should learn a lesson from this episode and resolve unemployment," he said.
What we know about Parliament security breach
In a colossal security breach, two men—identified as Sagar Sharma and Manoranhan D—jumped from the visitors' gallery into the well of the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Azad and another intruder, Amol Shinde from Latur, Maharashtra, were arrested outside Transport Bhawan, where they were spraying smoke. The incident happened during the Zero Hour of Parliament when Khagen Murmu, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP, was speaking. Four of the six people, including Azad, have been detained, while two are absconding.
