NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a comprehensive review of Parliament’s security arrangements, observing that courts cannot issue directions on how Parliament should manage its own security and remarking that “everybody is into PIL just for publicity”.
A Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia said there were no extraordinary circumstances warranting judicial intervention and refused to entertain the plea. Questioning the maintainability of the petition, the Bench told the petitioner that every suggestion or concern cannot be converted into a PIL.
“What kind of a petition is this? You think Parliament is incapable of taking care of its own security? Whatever comes to your mind may be a very good suggestion, but that cannot become a matter of PIL. Everybody is into PIL just for publicity,” the court observed.
When the petitioner argued that Parliament’s security was paramount in a democracy, the Bench responded that every individual’s security was equally important and that the court did not require “a lecture on parliamentary democracy”.
The court also questioned why the petitioner’s concern was limited to Parliament, asking why issues such as stampedes at railway stations, security lapses at airports and the safety of pedestrians had not received similar attention.
The petition referred to the 2001 terrorist attack on Parliament, the 2023 Lok Sabha security breach and recent calls for large-scale mobilisation towards Parliament during protests by the Cockroach Janta Party. It argued that these incidents highlighted the need for periodic assessment and strengthening of Parliament’s security framework in view of emerging threats, including cyber intrusions, AI-enabled misinformation and drone technology.
