NEW DELHI: A day after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla wrote to all MPs informing them that he had constituted a high-powered committee to review all aspects of security in the Parliament complex, Congress MP Manickam Tagore said the security breach is the failure of Union home minister Amit Shah and that the BJP shouldn’t drag the Speaker into the issue.
Tagore is among the 14 MPs suspended last week by the Lok Sabha Speaker for allegedly disrupting House proceedings. Speaking to this newspaper, Tagore said INDIA alliance partners will stick to the demand of a statement from the home minister in both Houses of Parliament. “Parliament security breach is not the responsibility of the Speaker. Delhi police reports to Amit Shah and it is the failure of the intelligence agencies. The fact that UAPA charges have been slapped on those five people demonstrates that it’s an extremely serious matter. Why is the Speaker taking the onus on him?” asked Tagore.
With the escalation of the political face-off between the government and the opposition parties, Birla had written to all MPs on Saturday assuring them he had set up a high-powered panel to conduct an in-depth probe into the breach and formulate a concrete action plan to prevent such incidents in the future. Birla also clarified that the suspension of 14 MPs was not linked to the security breach.
“The Speaker says we are not suspended on the issue of the security breach. Then what is it? If the speaker wants to get into the politics of the ruling establishment, it is very unfortunate. In the past also, home ministers and PMs have made statements in the House when such situations arose,” Tagore said.
Tagore also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making his first remarks on the Parliament security breach during a media interview on Sunday. Modi said that the incident was very serious and that a detailed probe should be conducted.
“The PM and the HM will speak to TV channels. However, they will not come to Parliament and make a statement. They are denigrating and insulting Parliament,” he said, adding that the INDIA alliance will discuss it at Monday’s meeting.