Parliament security breach: Police question acquaintance of accused Lalit Jha in Bengal

Kolkata, December 15 (IANS) The West Bengal Police on Thursday questioned a youth named Nilakkha Aich in connection with the major security breach in the Parliament on Wednesday.

Aich, a second-year under-graduate student at a reputed college in West Bengal, was reportedly acquainted with Lalit Jha, one of the six accused in the security breach case who is still on the run.

The police reached Aich’s residence at Halisahar in North 24 Parganas district on Thursday after being alerted by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police that a video of the security breach in the Lok Sabha was sent to the mobile phone of Aich through WhatsApp on Wednesday, hours after the incident took place.

During questioning, Aich told the police that besides being a student, he is also involved with social activities. He is associated with an NGO and he got acquainted with Jha through that NGO only, Aich reportedly told the police.

Aich also informed the police that at one point of time, Jha was also staying in Kolkata for social activities and it was during that time that he met Jha a couple of times.

The police have come to know that during his stay in Kolkata, Jha had rented a place in the Burrabazar area. As per the owner of the house, Jha used to pay rent online.

The neighbours have told the police that Jha was an extremely introvert person who rarely interacted with them.

The police in Kolkata have been alerted in anticipation that Jha, who is currently absconding, might try to take shelter in the city considering his old association with the place.

The police are making all attempts to track others who were known to Jha during his stay in Kolkata.

Six persons were involved in the planning and execution of the security breach in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Two of them — Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D. — burst yellow smoke canisters after jumping into the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitors’ gallery before they were overpowered by the MPs present in the House.

The others — Neelam Azad and Amol Shinde — did the same and raised slogans outside the Parliament, while a fifth person, identified as Vicky Sharma, provided logistics to the accused at his Gurugram home.

The sixth accused, Jha, reportedly fled with the mobile phones of the four accused from the Parliament.

While five of the accused have been arrested, Jha is still on the run.

Adhir slams PM Modi, HM Shah for silence on Parliament security breach

Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Thursday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over their silence on the Parliament’s security breach on Wednesday, saying that they should have at least hailed the MPs and security people, who caught the miscreants.

Speaking to the media outside Parliament after the Lok Sabha was adjourned till 2 p.m. Chowdhury said, “Yesterday’s incident was witnessed by the entire country… Since yesterday the Prime Minister and the Home Minister have not spoken a single word on the issue.”

He pointed out that in 2001 when the Parliament attack took place, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi spoke to then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and enquired about his welfare. “Now all those traditions seem to have ended,” he remarked.

Lamenting the state of affairs in government, the Congress leader said that everyday many issues are discussed including national security, missiles, weaponry and many other things. “But from the inside we have become hollow. Does the Prime Minister think about this? While inaugurating the new Parliament building he brought the sengol (scepter). Did he condemn the security lapse and think how to improve the security arrangements?” Chowdhury asked.

Chowdhury also said that Modi tells the people of the country about ‘Modi ki guarantee’, but now people will say that ‘Modi means mushkil’.

He also took a jibe at the government for inaugurating the new Parliament House in a hurry and said, “You built the new Parliament building in a hurry. Now anyone can jump in.”

He added that earlier also security personnel saved the Parliament during the 2001 attack. “On the 22nd anniversary of the Parliament attack shouldn’t the Prime Minister have issued a statement? Today the Speaker says that all responsibility lies with him. Whom do the Delhi Police and Intelligence agencies come under? The Home Minister should speak up and the Prime Minister should also speak on the issue,” he demanded.

He also said that on Wednesday, all the unarmed MPs and staff inside the chamber and outside the chamber saved the House. “The Prime Minister and Home Minister should have at least hailed them.”

Taking a swipe at Modi, Chowdhury said, “The Prime Minister had entered the House after bowing at its gate, and today when the security lapse has happened he has not bothered to speak about it. It seems like nothing has happened. Thankfully, the people (who jumped from the visitor’s gallery into the House) didn’t have any dangerous weapons and nothing untoward happened, or else many people including the MPs and the security personnel would have died.”

The sharp reaction came from the Congress MP over the silence of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister on the security lapse in Parliament on Wednesday.

On Thursday, the Prime Minister held a meeting with Amit Shah, BJP chief JP Nadda and other ministers over the security lapse in Parliament on Wednesday.