Increased Responsibilities

Subhashis Mittra

Over 3,300 Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel have been deployed at the Parliament House complex where a security breach took place in December last year. Jawans of the para-military force have replaced the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Delhi Police to manage security arrangements—from counter-terrorism and anti-sabotage duties to issuing passes and regulating movement of MPs, VIPs, officials and the media.

The move comes months after the Centre asked the CISF to carry out a survey of Parliament premises for regular deployment on a comprehensive pattern in the wake of a security breach by a few people, who entered Parliament Hall and threw smoke canisters in December last year.

The new Parliament building was inaugurated on 28 May 2023 and was first used for official business in December that year. On the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack, two persons jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour on 13 December 2023, released yellow smoke from canisters, and shouted slogans before being overpowered by MPs. Outside the Parliament premises around the same time that day, two other people sprayed coloured smoke from canisters while shouting slogans.

In a daring act, the two men carrying colour-spraying canisters had walked through with three layers concealed in their shoes. They jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber during Zero Hour from the visitors’ gallery in protest against rising unemployment, unending ethnic violence in Manipur and farmers’ issues.

After conducting a detailed survey, a preliminary probe by a committee headed by the Director General, CRPF, Anish Dayal Singh found security lapses during the frisking of visitors at the entry point, leading to the suspension of eight security personnel of the Delhi police. The CISF then sent its contingent headed by an assistant commandant-rank officer, for training on Parliament premises before the budget session and they, along with the Delhi Police, started frisking visitors and their baggage. Earlier, only Delhi police personnel frisked a visitor. These duties were earlier performed by the now-depleted Parliament Security Service (PSS), which functioned under the almost century-old Watch and Ward Committee.

The CISF personnel took a familiarisation exercise of the complex for 10 days. The men and women personnel of the force who will man reception areas have been given light blue full-sleeved shirts and brown pants apart from safari suits, as their new uniform.

The Parliament Duty Group (PDG) is expected to be merged with the six battalion-strong VIP security wing of the CRPF while the PSS staff could be tasked afresh for rendering security and protocol duties at other central government inst