'Smoke bomb' in Lok Sabha: Khalistani terrorist Pannun behind security breach in Parliament?

The incident took place on the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack, raising concerns about security measures in the new Parliament building. Speculations link the breach to the recent threat by Khalistani separatists. Pro-Khalistan terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun had threatened to attack Parliament by December 13.

In a startling turn of events, the Lok Sabha faced a significant security breach when two unidentified individuals infiltrated the House from the visitors' gallery. The trespassers unleashed smoke canisters, plunging the chamber into chaos and prompting the speaker to adjourn the proceedings until 2 pm. Eyewitnesses reported one intruder vaulting over the benches in the Lok Sabha, while the other dangled precariously from the public gallery, releasing gas. Quick and decisive action by Lok Sabha members and the watch and ward staff led to the successful subduing of the two individuals. 

The incident, occurring on the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack, where 10 lives were lost and five terrorists were neutralized, has raised serious questions about the efficacy of the security measures within the new Parliament building.

While details of the motives behind the breach remain unconfirmed, speculations have arisen in the aftermath, linking the incident to the threat issued by Khalistani separatists targeting Parliament by December 13.

Earlier this month, pro-Khalistan terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun issued a threat, declaring his intention to attack the Indian Parliament on or before December 13, aiming to "shake the very foundations of Parliament." Pannun, holding dual citizenship in the US and Canada, released a video wherein he justified the threat as a response to an alleged foiled assassination attempt on him by Indian authorities. The video prominently featured a poster juxtaposing his image with that of Afzal Guru, the convict hanged in 2013 for his role in the 2001 Parliament attack, bearing the caption "Delhi Banega Khalistan."

In response to this threat, security agencies had been on high alert, intensifying vigilance and preparedness.

22 years of 2001 Parliament attack

The security breach comes on a day when the nation paid tributes to fallen security personnel of the 2001 Parliament attack. The terrorist attack on the Parliament of India took place 22 years ago on 13 December 2001. 

The 2001 terrorist attack, carried out by five assailants, claimed the lives of six Delhi Police personnel, two Parliament Security Service personnel, and a gardener. Security forces later neutralized all five attackers. The chilling events unfolded on the morning of December 13, 2001, when terrorists entered the Parliament House Complex, instigating a tragic chapter in the nation's history.