BJP MP Pratap Simha has come under fire for issuing passes to the two accused who jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber on Wednesday, in a major security breach.
Two individuals breached the chamber, yelling slogans and releasing yellow smoke. This incident occurred on the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 parliament attack.
The Mysuru MP is believed to have known one of the miscreants, Manoranjan D who is a resident of his constituency. The accused would often visit Simha in his office in Mysuru and had been pursuing him for the parliament pass for three months.
Opposition party leaders are calling for action to be taken against Simha for authorizing the entry of the two men inside the parliament.
Simha's office has defended him, stating that MPs commonly address requests from constituents of their respective areas, PTI reported.
Who is Pratap Simha?
D. Prathap Simha, 47, is a Member of Parliament (MP) from Mysore, Karnataka. He won the Mysuru constituency in 2014 and increased his vote share and won for the second time in 2019.
A former journalist, Simha is known to idolise PM Modi, with him having written a biography for Narendra Modi in 2007. Simha has previously served as the president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha.
Simha's political views have stirred controversy, marking his term with frequent disputes.
Simha, who has a pro-Hindutva ideology, opposed the celebration of Tipu Sultan's birthday, stating that Tipu Sultan is only a role model for Islamists.
He drew criticism for his stance on stray dogs, suggesting that the menace would be understood by dog lovers once their children are bitten. He also advocated for the elimination of stray dogs.
Simha has also made controversial remarks about dome-shaped bus stations, threatening to demolish them for their mosque-like appearance.
"I have seen gumbaz-like structures in bus shelters, one big gumbaz in the middle and two small on both sides of it. It is nothing but a masjid (mosque). The engineers have to remove this type of shelters. Otherwise, I'll bring JCB and bring them down,” he had said.
How are passes given to Parliament visitors?
According to PTI, all MPs seeking passes for guests must declare that they know the personally and take full responsibility for him or her, as per the Lok Sabha handbook for members.
In the visitor application form submitted by MPs, they are required to provide information including the full name of the visitor, age, father's or husband's name, nationality, and passport number (for foreigners only), along with occupation details, among other particulars.
For security reasons, all visitors must carry a Photo Identity Card.
Calls for action
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took to X to condemn the event and said the security breach was an “unfortunate” event.
“The Chairman has taken immediate cognizance and ordered an investigation into this matter. Whatever precautions can be taken in future, they will be taken,” he said in his tweet.
Rajnath Singh asked MPs to be “careful” in the future.
According to a social media post by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, The INDIA parties are demanding, “A detailed statement by the Home Minister in both Houses, followed by a discussion on the very serious and shocking security breach witnessed in the Lok Sabha yesterday.”
They are also calling for strict action to be taken against BJP MP Pratap Simha.
Speaking to ANI, Congress member Adhir Chouwdhry said “The Prime Minister of the country should have expressed grief over such an incident and should have told what steps will be taken on this mistake.”
Eight security personnel have been suspended by the Lok Sabha secretariat over the breach.
