Nationwide shockwaves have been caused by the recent incident in which two men managed to elude Parliament House security and disrupt proceedings. The act’s audacity and the apparent ease with which they moved around the ostensible fortress have caused serious concerns about the efficacy of our security protocols. It is necessary to investigate the particular vulnerabilities used to comprehend how this breach of trust happened.

Officials from the Parliament Security Services and Delhi Police said that several factors, including fewer security personnel, lower height of the visitors’ gallery from the House floor in the new Parliament building, an increase in recent visits, and the failure to check shoes, were involved in the security breach that occurred on Wednesday at the Lok Sabha.

Furthermore, it has been discovered that the Delhi Police security wing held a meeting to assess the security measures around Parliament. This came after the separatist leader of Khalistan, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, threatened to attack Parliament “on or before December 13” on December 6.

While acknowledging that a meeting and discussions regarding increased deployment occurred, a senior police officer clarified that this was unrelated to Pannun’s threat. The number of Delhi Police officers deployed has risen from 250 to 300 last month.

According to sources in Delhi Police, Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan Drea, she reached the visitors’ gallery just before 1 pm, according to sources in the Delhi Police. There are six galleries, with the frontmost row sitting approximately ten and a half feet above the MPs’ seats.

Layers of Lapses in Parliament  

The trespassers went through the visitors’ gallery, which, in contrast to other entry points, has a less stringent screening process. Their dramatic jump revealed a physical vulnerability because no substantial barriers separated the chamber from the gallery.

Remarkably, shoes were not thoroughly inspected, so the men could stuff smoke canisters inside them. This was a critical oversight in an otherwise rigorous screening process.

The plastic smoke canisters eluded the attention of metal and scanner detectors, potentially revealing a security technology blind spot. This demonstrates how security equipment must constantly be upgraded and adapted to keep up with changing threats.

Later, at a meeting with various floor leaders and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, it was suggested that glass be installed in front of the visitor galleries.

A Parliament Security Services team member, consisting of the Delhi Police and the CRPF, stated that despite having a small staff, they have been dealing with “hundreds of visitors every day,” mainly since the new Parliament was inaugurated.