Parliament Attack 2023: Security Lapse or Conspiracy?
Let's Decode the 13 Dec's Security Breach of the Indian Parliament - From Hindu Terror to Foreign Angle. The idea of Digital Visitor Management System.
The Indian Parliament, a symbol of the country's democratic values and governance, witnessed a shocking incident on the 13th of December 2023, marking the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack. Two individuals (Sagar Sharma and D. Manoranjan) jumped from the visitors' gallery of the Lok Sabha, creating chaos by deploying smoke canisters in the House. The subsequent investigations have led to allegations of a security lapse, with the opposition claiming that a ruling party MP from Mysore issued a visitor pass to one of the trespassers, Sagar Sharma. This incident has raised serious questions about the efficacy of the multi-layered security arrangements in place at the Indian Parliament.
Digital Vulnerabilities and Access to MPs' Web Portal
The opposition's assertion that Sagar Sharma was issued a visitor pass by a ruling party MP highlights the potential vulnerabilities associated with digital access. MPs' web portals, which are susceptible to hacking or blackmail, may provide unauthorized individuals with the means to exploit the system. The police will investigate whether the trespassers manipulated their intentions while seeking the passes, emphasizing the need for a thorough review of digital security measures.
Challenges in Smoke Canister Detection
The most perplexing aspect of the breach is how the individuals managed to bring smoke canisters into the Parliament despite undergoing five layers of security checks. The limitations of current security screening methods, raising questions about the thoroughness of personnel training and the need for technological upgrades to detect unconventional threats.
Anti-Drone and Anti-Missile Systems
The article investigates whether the Indian Parliament is equipped with anti-drone and anti-missile systems, crucial components in modern security protocols. In an era of evolving threats, these systems become imperative to protect against aerial attacks.
Airport-style Security Checks
Persons named Sagar Sharma and D Manoranjan had hidden smoke canisters in their shoes inside the Parliament, which could not be caught by the security personnel.
Reid’s shoe-bombing attempt — coming as it did months after the 9/11 attacks in the US carried out using passenger aircraft American Airlines Flight 63 — had permanently changed the security protocols at airports. All airports in the US and many across Europe since require passengers to remove their shoes or boots at security check and pass them through the scanners to rule out the presence of plastic explosives like PETN. In fact, many vital buildings of national importance follow airport-style security checks for visitors.
This emphasizes the need for a reevaluation of security protocols at vital national institutions, including Parliament, to ensure a robust defense against evolving threats.
Propaganda of Hindu Terrorism
Hindu terror angle, drawing parallels with the 2008 Mumbai attacks where the Pak terrorist Ajmal Kasab wore a Kalawa (sacred thread) to propagate a narrative of Hindu terrorism. It questions whether the recent breach is part of a larger conspiracy to fuel debates on Hindu terrorism, considering the involvement of an individual named Sagar Sharma (who’s a leftist and anti-government according to his social media posts).
Some people on social media have also claimed that the woman (Neelam) who protested by burning smoke canisters outside the Parliament has links with the Indian National Congress. This woman described herself as a student in front of the media but after investigation it was found that her age is around 42 years.
The Pannu’s Warning
The recent warning from a CIA-backed Khalistan separatist, Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, adds a foreign angle to the breach, raising questions about the adequacy of intelligence sharing and parliamentary security preparedness.
Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, backed by the United States’s CIA, had said in one of his videos on 6 December 2023 that he would shake the very foundation of the Indian Parliament on or before 13 December 2023, i.e. the 22nd anniversary of the Parliament attack. In his video he also put the picture of Afzal Guru, the terrorist involved in the 2001 Parliament attack.
After this video of Pannu, Delhi Police was put on high alert. According to The Hindu, a senior Delhi Police officer had said in his statement that “security has already been increased in and around Parliament. When Parliament is on, we remain alert. We are taking all precautionary measures to prevent any untoward incident. No one will be allowed to disturb law and order”.
Last month, the US Department of Justice had said in one of its reports that Indian intelligence officers, along with the Indian government, had made a plan to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannu on American soil, which failed. The US federal prosecutors also charged a 52-year-old Indian national Nikhil Gupta working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Pannun.
But does the US government consider Gurpatwant Pannu's open threats to India as “Freedom of Speech”? Threatening to bomb an Air India plane does not come under Freedom of Speech. Threatening to attack the democratic temple of the world's largest democracy does not come under Freedom of Speech.
Imagine if someone threatens to bomb the United States Capitol building or US Parliament or threaten to kill US Diplomats, how many missiles will American MQ9 Reaper drones fire at him. By raising a terrorist like Gurpatwant Singh Pannu on its soil, America is doing something similar to what Pakistan did by raising Osama Bin Laden on its soil.
But in the end the question remains that when Delhi Police was on high alert after the threat of Gurpatwant Singh Pannu and their top officers were making big claims, then how did such a big lapse occur in the security of the Indian Parliament?
The breach prompts considerations of potential scenarios where individuals could bring in more dangerous substances such as toxic gases or grenades. The inability to detect smoke canisters raises concerns about the Parliament's preparedness to counter more severe threats.
To know the involvement of Khalistan and United States of America in Khalistan propaganda, you can also watch my detailed video by clicking here.
Learn Something From This Incident
From this security lapse of Parliament, we have understood that we will have to use technology extensively along with human verification in security checks of visitors. To ensure strong and unfilterable security, a combination of advanced technology, personnel training, and procedural enhancements is necessary. We will have to make special arrangements for MPs also.
Emergency Evacuation Training For Parliamentarians (MPs)
Conduct regular emergency evacuation drills for MPs and Parliament staff.
Ensure that MPs are well-versed in evacuation procedures to facilitate a swift and organized response in case of an emergency.
Secure Tunnels for Emergency Evacuation
Construct secure underground tunnels for emergency evacuation, ensuring they are equipped with adequate lighting, ventilation, and communication systems.
Establish protocols for tunnel use in emergencies, and conduct regular drills to familiarize personnel with the evacuation routes.
These tunnels should be connected to the chambers of both the Rajya and Lok Sabha.
Such special gates can also be constructed for the entry and exit of MPs, the information of which should be kept secret.
Intelligence Sharing and Collaboration
Establish seamless collaboration among various intelligence agencies, including national security agencies, state police, and specialized intelligence units.
Create a centralized intelligence hub specifically dedicated to parliamentary security. This hub would serve as a central repository for intelligence related to potential threats, ongoing investigations, and security assessments.
Form a threat assessment working group with representatives from various intelligence agencies. This group can analyze intelligence inputs, assess potential threats, and develop strategies for mitigating risks. We can also use Artificial Intelligence in this Threat Assessment Group.
Intelligence sharing should not have major bureaucratic hurdles so that this security system can work with full efficiency. In case of any emergency situation, Parliament's Control and Coordination Center should have the power and resources to directly contact security agencies - by bypassing the Sarkari Babus.
Digital Visitor Management System (DVMS)
Biometric Access Control
Technology: Utilize fingerprint or retina scans for MPs, staff. Retina and fingerprints of any MP can be registered as soon as his term starts.
Implementation: Integrate biometric readers at key entry points to ensure accurate identity verification.
Secure Online Pre-registration For Visitors (Even For MPs Family Members)
Develop a secure online portal for visitors to pre-register before their visit.
Implementation: Visitors submit necessary identification details including MP’s letter and receive a QR code or unique identifier for expedited on-site processing. Before confirming the visitor's visit, a request should be made on the Parliament portal of the MP who has given the letter of permission to the visitor and that MP will have to manually confirm this request by entering his password and after authenticating his fingerprint through the pocket fingerprint machine allotted to them by the Parliament.
When an MP issues a visitor pass, the information is recorded digitally, and the pass is generated with a secure, traceable code.
We can also develop a mobile app with web portal exclusively for Parliamentarians for this purpose.
Facial Recognition Technology
MPs were provided smart ID cards. Additionally, a facial recognition system was installed to regulate access to Parliament. The system captures images of the entrants and triggers the flap barrier to open. Actually the smart ID cards system works on RFID Technology.
Integration of DVMS with Government Databases
Interface the DVMS with national identity databases like the UIDAI amd cross-verify visitor information against official records for enhanced security.
If such advanced visitor management system and security check system is deployed then it will be very difficult to penetrate it.
Conclusion
The recent security breach at the Indian Parliament has raised a myriad of questions, ranging from the efficacy of digital security measures to the ability of security personnel to detect unconventional threats like smoke canisters. We need for a comprehensive review of security arrangements, technological upgrades, and a proactive approach to counter emerging threats. The suspension of security personnel and the establishment of an inquiry committee (led by CRPF DG Anish Dayal Singh) signal the gravity of the situation, and the findings of this investigation are critical to fortifying the defenses of one of the world's largest democracies.
Thank You @poorvam_tomar