Home Ministry sets up Committee to Probe Parliament Security Breach

Context: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has formed a committee headed by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Director-General Anish Dayal Singh to probe the parliament security breach on 13th December 2023.

Home Ministry sets up committee to investigate Parliament security breach

• The committee consists of members from many other security agencies and experts. 
• The committee will investigate the security lapses in the New Parliament and provide recommendations on improving the security in the new building at the earliest.  

About the Recent Attack on Parliament

• On the 22nd Anniversary of the 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament, two men jumped from the visitors gallery into the Lok Sabha Chamber. They were carrying tear gas canisters hidden into their shoes. 
• They had entered the Parliament on visitor’s passes endorsed by an MP. They jumped when the Zero Hour was going on. 
• No MPs or security staff were injured in the Incident. 
• Security agencies have identified 6 people involved in the incident. They have not found any terror angle to the incident, calling it political protests.
• The accused have been detained under Sections 16 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967.

UAPA Act

• Objective: It aims to prevent unlawful activities and associations in India that might affect the sovereignty and integrity of India. 
• Punishment: The act has the death penalty and life imprisonment as the maximum punishment. 
• Applicability: Under UAPA, both people of Indian and foreign nationality can be charged. Even crimes committed from outside India can be handled under UAPA.
• Chargesheet: A timeline of 180 days is available for the investigating agency to file the chargesheet. 
• Bail: Stringent conditions for bail are laid in UAPA, providing the state more power to detail and investigate the offender. 
  • SC has held that courts must only be satisfied that a prima facie case can be made against the accused to deny bail application. 

Parliament Security System

• The security of the complex is managed by Delhi Police, paramilitary forces, and a specialized department called Parliament Security Service (PSS).
  • Police control access to the area surrounding the complex
  • Paramilitary jawans guard the outer perimeter of the complex
  • Parliamentary Security Service controls the inside of the complex 
• There are three levels of security check for any visitor, with visitors allowed only a valid ID proof with themselves in the premises. 
• They are escorted to the gallery by security staff, and their security supervision continues even inside the public galleries.

Steps to Apply for the Pass

• Interested people can reach out to the Constituency MP, whose office sends the information to the Centralised Pass Issue Cell (CPIC), which further vets the application for security clearance. 
• After the clearance, the pass is sent to the MP’s office, which provides the pass to the visitor. 
• Only 2 visitors per day are allowed per MP. 

Source: The Hindu