Two men enter Lok Sabha, shouting slogans against 'dictatorship'; spray yellow smoke

New Delhi: Two individuals seated in the visitors' chamber jumped onto the MPs' sitting premises in the Lok Sabha, each carrying smoke canisters emitting as-of-yet unidentified yellow smoke, during Zero Hour in Parliament at 1:02 pm on Wednesday.

Footage from the House's CCTV system captured one man, donned in a dark blue shirt, navigating desks to avoid capture, while the second individual sprayed smoke from the visitors' gallery.

The two intruders, later identified as Sagar Sharma and an unnamed accomplice, managed to enter the Lok Sabha posing as visitors. Seated in the visitors' gallery, they extracted canisters from their shoes, releasing a yellow-coloured smoke that raised panic among lawmakers and security personnel.

Near the Transport Bhavan, situated close to the Parliament complex, two additional protesters, namely Amol from Latur (Maharashtra) and Neelam from Hisaar (Haryana), were apprehended.

Television footage captured the act, depicting the trespassers leaping from desk to desk with apparent intentions of reaching the Well of the House. Eyewitnesses reported that the intruders chanted slogans, opposing any form of dictatorship.

MPs and security personnel subdued both men, preventing further escalation. The security breach has sparked a wave of questions regarding the efficacy of the existing security measures in the Parliament complex.

BJP MP Rajendra Agarwal, who was presiding over the House proceedings, expressed astonishment at the audacity of the intruders. He revealed that one of the individuals removed something from his shoes, emitting smoke, before being apprehended by security.

Delhi police officials are now investigating the breach, indicating that the intruders managed to obtain general visitor passes. These passes typically involve a background check, but it remains unclear how the individuals successfully bypassed security checks and scanners with smoke-emitting canisters in their possession.

Congress leaders, including Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Karti Chidambaram, raised concerns about the incident being a serious security breach, particularly on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack.

Chowdhury highlighted that the trespassers hurled something emitting gas, leading to fears of poisonous substances being released within the premises.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned until 2 pm following the incident, as security protocols were reassessed and investigations unfolded.