CISF to be deployed for 'comprehensive' security of Parliament

By Rajnish Singh
New Delhi [India], December 21 : Days after a major security breach in Parliament, the central government is in talks with concerned stakeholders to give "comprehensive" security of the institution to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
Sources in the government told the ANI that the matter was raised in a recent meeting attended by officials of the Delhi Police, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the CISF, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and other concerned divisions.
As per sources, the final decision on the matter will be taken in another round of meetings next week.
However, the sources privy to the development said, two points were majorly discussed in the meeting-- the one which suggested to handover the CISF comprehensive security of the Parliament due to its expertise and the other was to continue Delhi Police security personnel at some points.
An order has also been issued for the survey of the Parliament building complex to gather input before deployment of the CISF-- a central armed police force (CAPF) that currently guards many central government ministry buildings in Delhi apart from installations in the nuclear and aerospace domain, civil airports and the Delhi Metro.
The meeting to change the security set-up in the Parliament comes days after the Lok Sabha Secretariat suspended eight security personnel for security lapses in the Parliament security breach incident which occurred on December 13 when two intruders namely, Manoranjan D and Sagar Sharma, jumped into the Lok Sabha from the visitors' gallery and opened smoke canisters. They were later arrested by the Delhi Police.
Two more persons namely Neelam Azad and Amol Shinde were also held outside Parliament where they opened similar smoke canisters.
All four people have been charged under the anti-terror Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
The major security breach in the Lok Sabha occurred on the 22nd anniversary of the Parliament terror attack when the two arrested intruders jumped into the chamber of the Lower House from the visitor gallery during Zero Hour.
The intruders then jumped from one seat to another and took out canisters when MPs tried to catch them. They released yellow gas from canisters and shouted slogans before being overpowered by the legislators. The House was then adjourned till 2 pm on Wednesday.
The incident happened when members were raising matters of urgent public importance and BJP MP Khagen Murmu was raising his issue.
After the security of Parliament was breached, the Secretary General of Lok Sabha wrote to the MHA over a review of security and a decision was taken that no passes would be issued for the visitors' gallery till further orders.
On request from the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the MHA on December 13 ordered an enquiry into the Parliament security breach incident, and an enquiry committee was set up under Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Director General Anish Dayal Singh with members from other security agencies and experts.
As per MHA, the enquiry committee will investigate the reasons for the breach in the security of Parliament, identify lapses and recommend further action.
"The Committee will submit its report with recommendations, including suggestions on improving security in Parliament, at the earliest," the MHA had said.