Secure Parliament; Get to the root of problem

The incident of December 13 when two persons jumped into the Lok Sabha from visitors’ gallery and ignited smoke cannisters is certainly a matter of grave concern. Such acts are unacceptable and anyone who is responsible for the serious security breach should be punished severely.

The law enforcement agencies should not drag their feet in going to its root cause and the courts, too, should ensure that the case is disposed of at the earliest and the accused are punished. The way the incident took place is shocking. Two persons manage to get into the visitors’ gallery, jump into the floor of the Lok Sabha which is about 10-12 feet below the gallery, ignite smoke cannisters and jump from one row to another and move menacingly towards the Speaker’s podium.

This certainly speaks volumes about how the people responsible for security had failed to cope up with changing crime scenario and have been practising a stereotyped security check of the visitors that was introduced two decades back when the terrorists attack took place on December 13 2001.

In airport, there are any number of cases where the security does not even allow carrying of Ganga water in a small transparent plastic can or a nail clipper saying that it has a small knife even though it has no sharp edges and cannot cut even paper. There were occasions at Ahmedabad airport, when passengers wearing shoes were asked to remove them at the security check point. But in the Parliament, which is known as the Temple of Democracy, the security staff failed to detect that there were cannisters hidden inside the shoes of the two persons who jumped into the house from the visitor’s gallery. The explanation given is metal detectors cannot detect plastic. Did the security realise this only day before yesterday? Is there no R&D in security management?

It was a blessing in disguise that the cannisters only had coloured smoke. What if it had contained some poisonous gas? The chemical could have been dangerous. Hopefully, the government bearing all the criticism from the opposition would go deep into the issue and come up with systems which would ensure that such things ever happen. The opposition certainly has a right to raise the issue but it too seems to be lacking seriousness and is looking at this incident as yet another election missile to be hurled at the BJP-led NDA government in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections. Hopefully they will learn to be more responsible and force a serious discussion.

Just as the Parliament was quick in acting against TMC MP Mohua Moitra who has been charged of breach of security, action against the MP who signed the visitors form should also be taken. It is a general practice for MPs to sign the forms put before them by their personal staff. In a majority of cases they do not know who the visitor is. The Lok Sabha and the Speaker should also focus attention on such loopholes.

Police said that the accused Manoranjan had collaborated with the personal staff of MP Pratap Simha to obtain a visitor’s pass for 14 December. Due to a clerical error, the pass was scheduled for 13 December. To err is human. But in this case, it cannot be written off on this note. Hope the government, the opposition and the probe agencies will take this issue to its logical conclusion and adopt foolproof measures to protect not only the iconic building but the life of the MPs and the decorum of the Parliament. It is not enough to say security has been heightened or some staff are suspended. A proper scientific solution needs to be found.