Day after breach, security tightened in and around Parliament complex

A day after the Parliament security breach, stringent measures were put in place in and around the building on Thursday, with the police and the Parliament security staff thoroughly checking the credentials of those entering the complex.

Security personnel deployed outside the Transport Bhavan, metres away from the Parliament complex, did not allow anyone to go beyond the barricades they had put up before checking their identity cards and entry passes.

Security personnel deployed near the Krishi Bhavan, which houses the agriculture ministry and other government departments, stopped bikers and let them leave only after checking their credentials.

Inside the Parliament campus, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma was not allowed to enter the new building from the Makar Dwar, which is meant for the entry of parliamentarians.

Sangma had to get off his car and walk to the Shardul Dwar to enter the building.

"Ministry officials, including the ministers' private secretaries and other staff, were stopped from entering Parliament through the Makar Dwar as it is only meant for the entry of the MPs. They were asked to enter the building through the Shardul Dwar," a Parliament official told PTI.

The Makar Dwar of the new Parliament House has been kept out of bounds for everyone, including journalists. Mediapersons with cameras were shifted to the lawn near the old Parliament building's gate number 12 and asked not to take sound bites of the MPs, take pictures or shoot videos near the Makar Dwar.

"This has been done to avoid overcrowding outside the Makar Dwar," a Parliament security staff told PTI.

Security personnel deployed outside the Parliament complex allowed only those visitors to reach the entry gates who had a valid entry pass.

The drivers of the members of Parliament who were not carrying passes were not allowed to enter the complex.

"A mistake happened on Wednesday. What message will it send across the world if some untoward incident happens here? That is why we are asking every visitor to show a valid entry pass and other credentials before they reach the Parliament entry gates," a Delhi police personnel told PTI.

In a major security breach on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack on Wednesday, two men -- Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D -- jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during the Zero Hour, released a yellow-coloured gas from canisters and shouted slogans, before being overpowered by the MPs.

Around the same time, two others, including a woman, raised slogans and released a yellow-coloured smoke from canisters outside the Parliament premises, prompting police to swing into action and round up the duo.

According to police, the Parliament security breach on Wednesday was well-coordinated, meticulously planned and carried out by six people, five of whom have been arrested.

The Delhi police is conducting raids to nab the sixth suspect, who is believed to be a key part of the group that breached Parliament, an officer said on Thursday.

A resident of Kolkata, Lalit Jha is a teacher by profession and the main conspirator of the security breach, the officer said.

The Lok Sabha Secretariat has suspended eight security personnel for the security breach in Parliament, sources said on Thursday.

Those suspended belong to various security agencies who were on deputation for Parliament security.