Parliament security breach unfortunate, too early to comment on Neelam’s arrest: Haryana CM Manohar Khattar

CHANDIGARH: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar Thursday dubbed the security breach incident in Parliament as “very unfortunate” and said security agencies were investigating the matter. To a question on any preliminary information on Haryana’s Neelam, one of the two persons arrested for protesting outside the Parliament on Wednesday, Khattar said it is too early to comment on the matter as the investigation is ongoing. In a major security breach on the anniversary of the deadly 2001 Parliament terror attack, two persons on Wednesday jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitors’ gallery, shouted slogans and released yellow smoke from canisters that triggered panic and chaos in the House.

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

Replying to a question on reviewing security measures at the Haryana Vidhan Sabha ahead of the start of the winter session on Friday in the wake of the security breach incident at Parliament, Khattar replied whenever such incidents take place, it is natural that security has to be tightened. Our security agencies are also taking care of it, he added.

“Look, a very unfortunate incident took place… It happened on the day of the anniversary of the deadly 2001 Parliament terror attack. Definitely there are anti-national people and organisations behind this incident and (some) people have been caught,” he said,

No one whosoever was involved in the security breach will be spared, the chief minister said, adding that the offenders would be booked for indulging in anti-national activities.

Family members of Neelam, who hails from a village in Jind district, had said she had earlier participated in several agitations including the farmers’ movement. On Wednesday, Neelam’s mother Saraswati Devi had told reporters at her house in Ghaso Khurd village in Jind that she came to know about the incident through the media. Two persons, including Neelam, protested outside the Parliament building and sprayed coloured gas from canisters while shouting slogans ‘tanashahi nahi chalegi’ (dictatorship will not be allowed). They were arrested by the Delhi Police. Neelam, who is around 36 years old, was staying at a paying guest accommodation in Hisar for the last five months where she was preparing for competitive examinations, her brother Ram Niwas had said. About the parliament security breach, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij told reporters here on Thursday, “It is a very serious incident, various agencies are investigating…” Meanwhile, a ‘panchayat’ was held in Jind’s Uchana on Thursday where several farmers demanded release of Neelam. Addressing a gathering there, farmer leader Azad Palwa said, “We want that Neelam be released and the stringent UAPA (Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act) slapped against her be withdrawn”.