Oppn MPs insist on Amit Shah's statement on Parliament security breach

Opposition MPs on Monday insisted on their demands to get a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Parliament security breach.

After both the Houses-- Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha-- were adjourned till 2 pm following a ruckus created by the Opposition members over the December 13 incident, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said that Shah should come in the Parliament and tell about the security lapse in the 'safest building' of the country.

While speaking to ANI, Priyanka Chaturvedi said, "...If there can be a security breach in the safest building in the country, who is responsible for it? Union Home Minister Amit Shah will have to decide who is responsible for all this. He should come in the Parliament and tell how this happened..."

Raghav Chadha, AAP Rajya Sabha MP said that the opposition parties are just asking that the investigation report be presented in the Parliament.

"...The opposition parties are just asking that the investigation report be presented in the Parliament. And a discussion should be held...The MPs want a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah and then a discussion can be held. The way the government is running from this issue, raises a lot of questions as to what they are hiding," he said.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said, "Union Home Minister Amit Shah is afraid of speaking inside Parliament and that is why he is commenting on it in media....It is a blot on the record of the Home Minister that under his watch this temple of democracy was attacked and he can't avoid scrutiny forever."

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal said, "It was a big security lapse and intelligence failure...People want to know how it happened...The people of the country are watching. Those who asked questions were suspended. This is not a good sign for democracy."

Since two persons with gas canisters jumped into the Lok Sabha from the visitors' gallery, triggering panic inside the House, the opposition lawmakers are demanding a statement from Union Home Minister on the issue.

Earlier in the day, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla expressed his anguish at the "politicisation" of the issue.

The Speaker told the members during Question Hour that the security of Parliament is under the purview of the Lok Sabha secretariat and that the suspension of some opposition members was not related to the December 13 incident but to the members bringing placards to the House.

He said a high-level committee has already begun its probe and some of the suggestions given to him at the all-party meeting to enhance the security of the parliament have been implemented.

The Speaker said he will continue to consult the members on the issue and urged them to take their seats.

"It is sad that politics is being done on this issue...To enter the Well of the House and sloganeering is against the dignity of the House. I request your (opposition) cooperation to hold discussions on important issues," he said.

Meanwhile, BSP MP Malook Nagar said that opposition leaders should discuss the issue in Parliament rather than creating a ruckus.

"The security incident that happened in the Parliament should not have happened...Parliament should function and it is the responsibility of both the ruling party & the opposition...The opposition leaders should discuss the issue in Parliament rather than creating a ruckus. They should call out the flaws & mistakes of the government. They are trapped if they do not let the Parliament function...It is a trap, which is not good for the country & the people," he told ANI.

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 parliament, in another incident, two protestors -- Neelam (42) and Amol (25) -- protested outside the Parliament with similar gas canisters. However, all four were sent to seven-day custody of Delhi Police Special Cell on December 14.

The issue flared up after a total of 14 opposition MPs-- 13 in Lok Sabha and 1 in Rajya Sabha-- were suspended for the remainder of the Winter Session for creating a ruckus inside their respective Houses while demanding Shah's statement.

Among the 13 MPs suspended from the Lok Sabha, nine are from the Congress, two from the CPM, one from the CPI, and one from the DMK.