PM Modi declares Parliament breach serious

New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi has termed the security breach in Parliament as “very serious” and called for no squabbling over the issue amid the Opposition’s protest in Parliament.

Making this observation in an interview with a Hindi daily, he also said probe agencies are investigating the incident and taking stringent measures, noting that it is equally necessary to go to the root of the people behind it and their motives. The newspaper reported that he described the breach as ‘painful and a matter of concern.’

“Efforts should also be made to find a solution with a collective spirit. Everyone should avoid squabbling over such an issue,” he said.

“The gravity of the incident that happened in Parliament should not be underestimated,” said the Prime Minister, adding that the Speaker has also been taking necessary steps with all seriousness.

Two persons jumped from the visitors’ gallery into the Lok Sabha chamber on December 13, with Opposition parties demanding a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah.

The Government has insisted that the security in the Parliament complex is the responsibility of the Lok Sabha secretariat and that 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.

A total of six people have been arrested in connection with the case so far. The Delhi Police has invoked the stringent anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, against the trespassers.

In his first remarks on Parliament security breach last week, Modi said the incident was ‘very serious.’ He stated that there is ‘no need to debate’ this and that a ‘detailed investigation’ should be carried out.

“The seriousness of this incident should not be downplayed. The (Lok Sabha) Speaker is taking all the necessary steps. Probe agencies are investigating the matter. It is important to find out which elements are behind this and what their objectives are. There is no need to debate this; there should be a detailed investigation into this,” he told the newspaper.

Regarding the BJP picking relatively new and little-known leaders as Chief Ministers in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, Modi said the leaders have lots of experience and hard work behind them.

Taking a jibe at those questioning the BJP’s choices, he said it has been the country’s misfortune that a big section of people who influence society are bound to a trite and narrow mindset.

“This is not confined to only the political field. This nature troubles us in every field. If in any field, some name becomes big with some branding, then others do not get attention irrespective of their talent and hard work. A similar thing happens in politics,” he said.

The media’s focus for some decades has unfortunately been mostly on a few families, and due to this, talent and the usefulness of new people are not being discussed, he said.

“That is why you often see some people as new. But the truth is that they are not new. They have done the hard work and have their own experience,” he added.

The BJP leadership has picked Vishnu Deo Sai, Mohan Yadav, and Bhajan Lal Sharma as Chief Ministers of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, respectively, looking over the claims of former CMs Raman Singh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Vasundhara Raje. On the Supreme Court verdict on Article 370, Modi said the top court has put its stamp on the abrogation of Article 370, and added that ‘no power in the universe can bring it back.’

Citing the BJP’s stupendous show in the recent Assembly polls, he said it has shown that the party is set to score a historic win again in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He said Opposition parties should introspect as to why people do not accept their claims.