There was a huge security breach inside the Lok Sabha on Wednesday afternoon. The breach was on the 22nd anniversary of the Parliament terror attack, in which nine people, including eight security staff, were killed and India was left shocked by a strike on the symbol of democracy.
The 2001 Parliament terror attack was carried out by two banned Pakistan-based terror groups - Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed - and five terrorists were killed. Hours before today's incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla led tributes to those killed.
UPDATE | 6 Involved In Parliament Smoke Scare, 5 Arrested, 1 On The Run: Sources
"Their courage and sacrifice in the face of danger will forever be etched in our memory," the PM sad on X, while President Droupadi Murmu wrote, "On this day 22 years ago, the nefarious plan of terrorists to eliminate the top line of political leadership... and damage our Temple of Democracy was foiled."
READ | Parliament Security Breach: 4 People, 2 Incidents, Smoke In Lok Sabha
The security breach also comes after Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun threated an attack on this day. Delhi Police were put on alert after he vowed to "shake the very foundation of Parliament".
What Happened Today?
At 1.02 pm chaos erupted in the Lok Sabha after one man jumped from the visitors' gallery and ran into the chamber. A second remained in the gallery. Both deployed canisters spewing yellow smoke. In a video shared online, the man who ran into the chamber jumped desks to try and evade capture.
READ | "I Grabbed Gas Canister": MP On Man Who Jumped Into Lok Sabha
However, he was eventually cornered by MPs. Lawmakers, understandably concerned for their security, have questioned the breach, pointing out that the smoke could have been toxic.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has said a thorough investigation will take place.
A visitor's pass was recovered after the two Lok Sabha intruders were caught; photographs of the pass are with NDTV and it indicates they were issued by the office of Prathap Simha, the BJP MP from Mysuru. Any visitor must clear multiple levels of security before being allowed inside Parliament.
READ | Lok Sabha Security Breach: What We Know So Far
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram told NDTV he initially thought somebody had fallen down from the visitors' gallery. "It was only after the second person jumped that I realised it was a security breach... the gas could have been poisonous," he said, calling for a thorough probe.
Smoke Attack Outside Parliament Too
Two other individuals - a man and a woman - were detained outside Parliament, also with coloured smoke canisters that exploded and spewed red and yellow smoke..
Delhi Police sources have told NDTV the two incidents are likely related. According to news agency PTI, the man and woman have been identified as Amol Shinde, 25, and Neelam, 42. The two men inside the Lok Sabha have been identified as Sagar Sharma and D Manoranjan.
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