The accused in custody had collected information about Parliament

Parliament intrusion case

Accused

New Delhi – The individuals arrested in connection with the intrusion into the Parliament and the release of smoke had previously gathered comprehensive information about the Parliament. All these accused had convened in Mysuru, Karnataka, a year and a half ago. Manoranjan Gowda, a resident of Mysuru, is among them. These individuals are affiliated with a social media group named ‘Bhagat Singh Fan Club. ‘Notably, during a search at Sagar Sharma’s residence in Laxmanpuri, Uttar Pradesh, the Police discovered books related to Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru. Additionally, Manoranjan Gowda is alleged to have ties with Maoists. Furthermore, it has been revealed that Neelam has consistently participated in anti-BJP protests.

How was the plot devised ?

During this year’s budget session, Manoranjan visited Delhi and gained entry to Parliament using a visitor’s pass. While inside, he gathered comprehensive information about the Parliament, realised that footwear was not subjected to security checks upon entry. Sagar Sharma, who arrived in Delhi in July, was unable to visit the Parliament House but had collected information from outside.

For the intrusion operation, Amol Shinde procured canisters filled with coloured gas from Maharashtra. The accused assembled near India Gate in the morning before making their way into Parliament. There, they were provided with canisters containing coloured gas, and Lalit Jha accompanied them. Lalit held the mobile phones of Neelam, Amol, Manoranjan, and Sagar Sharma and was present on the Parliament premises during the incident. Subsequently, he fled, and the Police are currently searching for him. Authorities suspect the existence of another mastermind orchestrating the actions of the accused. In connection with this case, Vicky Sharma and his wife Vrinda have also been arrested. Notably, both Vicky and Sagar are relatives.

Uproar by opposition parties in Lok Sabha

On 14 ^th December, the opposition parties in the Lok Sabha kept the Government on edge with regard to the intrusion case in the Lok Sabha. The absence of any response or statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Home Minister Amit Shah on this matter triggered an uproar among the opposition parties. Consequently, the House was adjourned initially for 20 minutes and later extended until 2 p.m. In the midst of the commotion, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh appealed to the opposition in the Lok Sabha to maintain calm. He said, “Everyone has condemned what happened yesterday. The incident is quite unfortunate, there is no doubt about it. You (speaker) took immediate note of the incident and ordered a probe. I believe that all MPs both from the opposition and the Government need to maintain caution so that passes are not issued to people who then go ahead and spread anarchy in the house. We all need to take care of this”.

Eight security personnel suspended

The Parliament Secretariat has suspended eight security personnel due to their negligence in the case of the intrusion into the Lok Sabha and Parliament premises, along with the release of coloured smoke. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi convened a meeting with Union Ministers in Parliament to discuss the attack.

Editorial Perspective

How did the intelligence agencies fail to acquire this information while the accused were plotting ? If Jihadi terrorists are planning to attack Parliament tomorrow, will the intelligence agencies be aware of their plans ?