Trinamool MP Derek O'Brien Barred From Parliament For 'Gross Misconduct' Over Security Breach

New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha has passed a motion to suspend Trinamool Congress member Derek O’ Brien from the rest of the winter session, which ends on December 22, for his unruly conduct and defiance of the Chair on Thursday morning. O’ Brien had raised a ruckus over the security breach incident that occurred in the Lok Sabha, where two intruders jumped from the visitors’ gallery and released yellow smoke canisters.

The Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar had named O’ Brien and asked him to withdraw from the House, but he and some other opposition members persisted in their protest and demanded the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to explain the security lapse.

Outside Parliament, Trinamool MP Dola Sen also sought action against BJP MP Pratap Simha, who allegedly helped one of the accused, Manoranjan D, get a visitor pass for Parliament. “Why is the Ethics committee silent on this? Why is Pratap Simha, a BJP MP, not expelled? We want to know how the security of parliamentarians is compromised and what it means for the people of the country. The Home Minister did not even make a statement on this. TMC demands a proper investigation,” Dola Sen said.

In the wake of the security breach, which coincided with the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack, the Lok Sabha secretariat suspended eight security personnel on Thursday for their negligence. The intruders, identified as Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D, had entered the Lok Sabha chamber during Zero Hour and shouted slogans before being subdued by the MPs.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a meeting with senior ministers inside the Parliament to discuss the security breach, while the opposition leaders called for statements in both houses.

The security arrangements in the Parliament were tightened on Thursday, with security personnel at the outer gates asking everyone to remove their shoes, even after thorough frisking. The security check resembled that of an airport, where shoes, especially long boots or leather ones, are required to be opened. Only MPs were allowed to enter the Parliament building from Makar Dwar, and everyone entering the building was checked rigorously.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said that an enquiry committee, headed by Anish Dayal Singh, DG, CRPF, and comprising members from other security agencies and experts, will probe the reasons for the security breach, identify the lapses and suggest remedial measures. “The Committee will submit its report with recommendations, including suggestions on improving security in Parliament, at the earliest,” the MHA said.