Lok Sabha security breach: Government says high-level inquiry initiated, asks opposition not to politicise issue

On Thursday, the government affirmed that a high-level inquiry has been launched into the Lok Sabha security breach incident and urged the opposition not to politicize the issue.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, in a statement shortly after the House convened at 2 PM, emphasized that the incident on Wednesday was deemed a serious matter concerning the safety and security of Members of Parliament, with consensus among all parties on its significance.

Joshi noted that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla promptly held a meeting with floor leaders following the incident and listened to the suggestions for further strengthening Parliament security. Some suggestions given by MPs have already been implemented, he said and noted that the Speaker himself has stated that in future further measures will be taken to strengthen Parliament security.

This matter concerns all of us and we have to speak in one voice, Joshi said. On such a grave national issue, no politics is expected to be done by anyone, the minister asserted. Joshi also listed past incidents when such breach of security has happened in Parliament, noting that such incidents such as slogan shouting, throwing papers and jumping from gallery have been happening from earlier times.

On Wednesday, two people jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitors' gallery, shouted slogans and released coloured smoke from canisters that triggered panic and chaos in the House. Soon after the security breach on Wednesday, Birla had ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday had ordered a probe into the Parliament security breach incident following a request from the Lok Sabha Secretariat.