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Bomb threat: Search on in Parliament

By Onkar Singh in New Delhi
December 16, 2005

A security alert was sounded in Parliament on Thursday following a bomb threat when both Houses were in session forcing their adjournment and evacuation of the entire complex.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had just finished his meeting with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in his office in Parliament House when the alert was sounded.

Dr Singh, along with other leaders, was escorted out of the complex.

He is now in his South Block office.

Tracker dogs and bomb squads were pressed into service to detect any suspicious object.

Security forces in and around Parliament went on high alert.

As Parliament was in session, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee adjourned the House at around 1145 IST and asked members to vacate the building.

In Rajya Sabha, Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat suddenly appeared in the House when the deputy Chairman K Rehman Khan was in the Chair, and adjourned the House.

"We received a threat at around 1145 IST, and not wanting to take any risk, I adjourned the House," Chatterjee said.

Former external affairs minister K Natwar Singh said Home Minister Shivraj Patil was supervising the combing operations.

Congress MP Sachin Pilot said: "We came to know of the bomb scare when the speaker announced that there is information that some bombs have been placed in the House and that the security agencies wanted to comb the Parliament complex.

"We all came out and since it was nice and sunny, we decided to stand outside while the security agencies did their job.

"Parliament has been adjourned till 1500 IST and we hope everything will be smooth and fine by then."

 

Onkar Singh in New Delhi

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