BSP MP Danish Ali, who was present inside the parliament during the attack, has said that there was pandemonium when two attackers jumped from the visitors’ gallery.
“Two people jumped from the public gallery and there was smoke. There was chaos all around. Both of them were overpowered by security officials,” MP Danish Ali was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Ali said that one of the attackers, identified as Sagar Sharma, was from Mysore in Karnataka and BJP MP Pratap Sinha’s guest.
Both attackers were seen chanting Bharat Mata Ki Jai and Vande Mataram. These two chants are hugely popular with BJP leaders and those associated with the Hindutva ideology.
Simha has not responded to the reports of his link with one of the attackers.
VIDEO | “Two people jumped from the public gallery and there was smoke. There was chaos all around. Both of them were overpowered by security officials,” says MP Danish Ali on reported security breach in Lok Sabha. #Parliament pic.twitter.com/fJIFOnkgdb
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 13, 2023
The woman attacker, when being escorted out of the parliament, was seen shouting slogans such as ‘tanashahi nahi chalegi’ and ‘mahilaaon ke khilaf atyachaar band karo.’
The parliament’s proceedings abruptly ended on Wednesday after two attackers jumped from the visitors’ gallery and threw gas canisters targeting the MPs. The attack took place while the proceedings of the parliament were being broadcast LIVE on Sansad TV.
Today’s attack inside the parliament took place on a day the country was marking the anniversary of another attack on the parliament 22 years ago. The attack had left six Delhi Police personnel, two members of the Indian paramilitary force, and a gardener dead.
Several politicians including Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to those killed in the parliament attack of 2001. Modi had tweeted, “Today, we remember and pay heartfelt tributes to the brave security personnel martyred in the Parliament attack in 2001. Their courage and sacrifice in the face of danger will forever be etched in our nation’s memory.