By Anirudh Singla
On July 12th, the Uttar Pradesh Assembly was in session discussing the budget, when explosives weighing at least 150 grammes were found inside a plastic bag near the seat of the Opposition leader, Ram Govind Chaudhary. These were recognised as Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). This came as quite a shock since the UP Vidhan Sabha is the largest in the country in terms of the number of MLAs, and also boasts of a three-tier security framework.
Handling the volatile business
PETN, one of the most dangerous plastic explosives, is considered ideal for military use since it has colourless crystals which make it easy to conceal. Experts have reportedly stated that 500 gm of the substance is capable of destroying an entire house. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, enraged by the security team’s carelessness, has demanded that the National Investigation Agency take lead in the investigation, saying, ?Can we allow anyone to compromise the security of 403 MLAs? This is PETN, this is a dangerous substance. It is unfortunate that the largest Assembly of the country doesn?t have a QRT (Quick Response Team).?
In the days following the security lapse, UP ADG of Law and Order, Anand Kumar, said that a security audit of the entire assembly complex was done. An integrated plan to ensure effective liaison with the Sachivalaya Suraksha Dal (secretariat protection force) was also being worked upon. At present, quick response teams, ATS (Anti Terrorist Squad) and the additional Provincial Armed Constabulary personnel are on constant vigilance near the Assembly premises. More than 109 CCTV cameras have been installed to prop up the same. Equipment such as boom barriers has been set up to ensure enhanced protection. Accordingly, the Chief Minister has introduced new security measures for all the legislative members and staff. Body and bag scanners have been set up as well, and a constant review of the secretariat pass issued by the administration is also underway.
Recurring cracks and lapses
Speculations have surfaced that a man, identified as Farhan Ahmed in the Rampur Karhana area of Deoria, was arrested after he called the Lucknow ADG, allegedly threatening to blow up the Vidhan Bhawan on August 15. However, the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha is not new to security lapses. Under the Samajwadi Party government, the secretariat staff ran a fake recruitment racket. Despite limited entry passes, the gallery and the parking area of the Assembly would always be crowded. On the first day of the budget session, Congress MLAs brought soap and shampoo with themselves, which is a blatant act of a security breach.
Upon careful analysis, it was found that, generally, the assembly is guarded by a three-tier security system wherein the state police is in charge of security and vigil in the outermost ring. Inside the assembly building, security put up by the Assembly Secretariat is responsible, and Assembly Marshals are placed in the Assembly Hall premises. Despite such elaborate arrangements, there have been a lot of lapses in the system with respect to unauthorised persons entering the Assembly premises, along with a system of fake passes being issued. It is unlikely that such incidents can take place unless there is some internal staff involvement. To prevent such breaches, there has to be strict external and internal scrutiny, along with thorough checks of all the personnel entering the building.
Graver consequences
With enhanced scrutiny against Muslims, and the seemingly uncivil ways being adopted by ‘Gau-Rakshaks’ against supposed beef-eaters, the collective unease that once sparked certain areas of UP is leaving a streak of unrest in certain communities. Uttar Pradesh has become a home to communal violence and religion politics, which could have possibly incited such attacks on the lawmaking authority in the state. Additionally, the recent government change and dissatisfaction towards its work and ideologies could also be a likely propellant of these attacks. If the largest State Legislative Assembly in the country is not protected from a security breach, one might just be certain that the sense of security of over 220 million people living in UP ought to be very low. Thus, enhanced strictness of the law and constant vigilance should be ensured so that such incidents do not occur.
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