As tributes pour in, here's what happened during the 2001 Parliament attack

December 13 marks the 22nd anniversary of the Parliament attack carried out by five militants affiliated with Pakistan-based extremist groups Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed

December 13, 2023 marks the 22nd anniversary of the Indian Parliament attack carried out by Pakistan-based extremist groups that claimed the lives of nine individuals. As the winter session of Parliament transpires, pro-Khalistan separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has issued another threat to attack the Indian Parliament on or before December 13, reminding everyone of the terror witnessed by the country two decades earlier.

What happened on December 13, 2001?

The Parliament faced a deadly terrorist onslaught on December 13, 2001, when five militants affiliated with Pakistan-based extremist groups Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed orchestrated the attack. The attack claimed nine lives and injured 18 individuals. This included six Delhi police officers and two Parliament security officials. The ministers and members of Parliament in the Houses were able to escape unharmed.

 

The attack

The assailants, armed with AK-47 rifles, grenade launchers, and handguns, entered the premises of Parliament around 11:40 am. Carrying counterfeit home ministry stickers, a white Ambassador car headed towards building gate no 12.

The car caught the attention of a member of the Parliament House Watch and ward staff, who forced the car to turn back around. The car instead caused an "accident" by colliding with a vehicle that belonged to then Vice-President Krishan Kant, as recalled by Ashok Chand, the then-Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell).

Upon impact, the five terrorists opened fire after stepping out of the vehicle.

The first victim was CRPF constable Kumari, followed by eight others. This included Jagdish, Matbar, Nanak Chand and Rampal, Assistant Sub-Inspectors, Delhi Police; Om Prakash, Bijender Singh and Ghanshyam, Head Constables in Delhi Police; and Deshraj, a gardener, Central Public Works Department (CPWD).

The assailants

One assailant wore a suicide vest, which detonated after being shot, resulting in his death. The remaining four were also killed during the attack by security forces.

The investigation fell under the jurisdiction of the Delhi Police's anti-terror squad, the Special Cell, established in 1986 to prevent, identify, and investigate terrorist incidents. Mohammad Afzal Guru and his cousin Shaukat Hussain Guru emerged as the prime suspects, along with Hussain's wife Afsan Guru, and S A R Geelani, an Arabic lecturer at Delhi University.

Afsan Guru was acquitted on all charges by the court. S A R Geelani was initially sentenced to death but later acquitted by Delhi High Court in 2003 due to the need for evidence, a decision that was later upheld in 2005 by the Supreme Court.

Shaukat Hussain Guru was also handed the death penalty in 2002, which was later reduced to a 10 year imprisonment. He was set free at the end of December 2010, nearly nine months before his 10-year sentence would have ended on account of good conduct.

Afzal Guru, a former Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) militant, faced the death penalty and was subsequently hanged in Tihar Jail in 2013.

Impact of 2001 Parliament attack

Indian security agencies and Delhi Police officials, at the time, asserted that the gunmen received instructions from Pakistan, executing the operation under the guidance of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.

This tragedy escalated tensions between India and Pakistan, leading to a significant military standoff in 2001 and 2002. Soldiers from both nations amassed along the line of control (LoC), intensifying strife in the Kashmir Valley.

Paying tribute to 2001 Parliament attack victims

Every year on the anniversary of the attack, the President of India, Prime Minister, and other leaders pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives to defend the Parliament.

"It was an attack on the soul of India", Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated in the Lok Sabha at the beginning of the ongoing winter session of the Parliament.

Today, the Prime Minister paid a floral tribute to those martyred in the attack and met with their families. In a post on X, photos were posted with the caption, "Today, we remember and pay heartfelt tributes to the brave security personnel martyred in the Parliament attack in 2001. Their courage and sacrifice in the face of danger will forever be etched in our nation's memory."

Today, we remember and pay heartfelt tributes to the brave security personnel martyred in the Parliament attack in 2001. Their courage and sacrifice in the face of danger will forever be etched in our nation's memory. pic.twitter.com/RjoTdJVuaN

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 13, 2023