New Delhi, Dec 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the seriousness of the security breach in Parliament cannot be underestimated, and called for no squabbling over the issue amid Opposition’s protests over it in Parliament.
In an interview to Hindi daily Dainik Jagran, Modi said probe agencies are investigating the incident and taking stringent measures, noting that it is equally necessary to go to the root of people behind it and their motives.
The newspaper said he described the breach as “painful and a matter of concern”.
“Efforts should also be made to look for a solution with collective spirit. Everyone should avoid squabbling over such an issue,” he said.
“The gravity of the incident which happened in Parliament should not be underestimated,” the prime minister said, adding that the Speaker has also been taking necessary steps with all seriousness.
Two persons jumped from visitors’ gallery into the Lok Sabha chamber on December 13, with opposition parties, demanding a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah. Some members have also sought Shah’s resignation.
The government has insisted that the security in Parliament complex is the responsibility of the Lok Sabha secretariat and it has been following the Speaker’s directives. It has also cited numerous such violations in the past, accusing the opposition of politicising the issue.
PM Modi running away from debate: Congress
The Congress on Sunday accused PM Modi of running away from a debate on the security breach in Parliament and said the reason for it is that questions will be raised on the role of the Mysuru BJP MP in facilitating the entry of those who jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber.
The opposition party’s attack came after Modi said the seriousness of the security breach in Parliament cannot be underestimated and called for no squabbling over the issue amid the Opposition’s protests over it in Parliament.
In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “The Prime Minister has finally broken his silence on the extraordinary events in the Lok Sabha on December 13th. He says probe is needed and not debate and that such a probe is on.”
“All that INDIA parties are asking for and will continue to press for is a statement by the Home Minister on what happened on December 13th and how exactly it happened,” Ramesh said.
“The PM is running away from a debate for a very simple reason. Questions will be raised on the role of the Mysuru BJP MP Pratap Simha in facilitating the entry of the intruders into the Lok Sabha on December 13th,” he said.
Mamata censures breach
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said the security breach at the new Parliament building was “a serious matter.”
Rubbishing reports that Lalit Mohan Jha, one of the accused in the Parliament security breach case, has links to the state, she said it was a ploy of the BJP to malign Bengal.
“The Parliament security breach is a serious matter. It was a great lapse… The Union home minister has already admitted that. Let them investigate it,” Banerjee told reporters at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport here before leaving for Delhi.
She also referred to the suspension of party’s Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien along with 14 other MPs from the Lok Sabha from participating in the rest of the winter session of Parliament because of protests over the security breach issue.
“Their (BJP) only job is to malign the image of Bengal. Our state does not support any such illegal things,” she added.
Talking about her New Delhi visit, Banerjee said she is going to participate in the INDIA bloc meeting scheduled on Tuesday before seeing PM Modi the next morning and press for the release of unpaid dues to West Bengal.
“Bengal is the only state that they (BJP government in the Centre) have deprived. They have stopped disbursing Bengal’s dues for 100 days’ scheme, Awas Yojana, Gramin Sadak Yojana. This is not the Centre’s money only. The state and the Centre share the expenses of such schemes,” she added.
Banerjee, while referring to the Centre’s directive to paint health centres saffron, hit out at the BJP, alleging that the party was even trying to decide what people should eat or wear. (PTI)
