Parliament security breach: They were frustrated over not getting jobs, say families of accused

“We are not a prosperous family, but we still educated her. At home, she used to say, ‘I studied too much unnecessarily but did not get a job… It would be better if I die’,” said Azad’s mother Saraswati.

 

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Azad, who was detained from outside Parliament, had also participated in the 2020-21 farm protest and the wrestlers’ agitation, and was detained in connection with the latter, a farm leader from Jind, Sikkim Nain, told The Indian Express.

She hails from Ghaso Khurd village in Haryana’s Jind district, and was influenced by B R Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh, Nain said.

According to her brother Ram Niwas, Azad holds MA, M.Ed and M.Phil degrees and has cleared the National Eligibility Test.

For the past six months, she had been preparing for competitive examinations while living in a paying guest accommodation in Delhi. “She told us on Tuesday that she was going to Hisar. We were not aware she was in Delhi,” said Niwas.

Azad is from the Kumhar community and her father is a halwai. Her brothers sell milk in the village.

The smoke cans were hidden in shoes. (Image source: MP Danish Ali/X)

Manoranjan’s father Devaraj D told The Indian Express: “If he has done something wrong, he is not my son. But let me tell you, he is good… I was unaware he is in Delhi. He was a student leader in his college days, but I do not know about his affiliations. I condemn his act.”

Within an hour of the incident, Vijayanagar police in Mysuru visited his house and collected information about his son’s activities. Manoranjan is unmarried and has been involved in farming alongside his father. He is an engineering graduate and has in the past worked in an IT firm in Bengaluru, but was not employed at the moment. His father said he would travel to Delhi and Bengaluru often.

“He used to read a lot of books, especially by Swami Vivekananda. I am not aware of his political leanings. He was a student leader and even to this day he wants to bring reform in society,” said Devaraj.

At Zari village in Maharashtra’s Latur district, police swooped in on the home of Amol Dhanraj Shinde, who was caught from outside Parliament alongside Azad.

His mother told reporters that Amol had been depressed due to his failure to clear the Army recruitment. “We don’t know what caused him to do this but he had been feeling dejected as, despite his efforts, he wasn’t getting in. ‘What’s the use of my education and preparation if I can’t get in?’ he used to say.”

Since he was now too old to apply under the Agniveer scheme, he had been looking at other options. “He has participated in recruitment drives many times in the past — in Ratnagiri, Aurangabad, Nashik,” his father Dhanraj said.

Local media quoted villagers as saying that his parents are farm labourers. “They are four siblings and Amol is the youngest,” said a villager.

In Lucknow, Sagar’s family said he had mentioned he was going to Delhi for a protest. On Wednesday evening, the family was being questioned by police and intelligence officials.

Sagar worked in Bengaluru in the past, but for the past two months, he had been driving a rented e-rickshaw, his 15-year-old sister said.

His uncle Pradeep Sharma, a carpenter who lives next door, said Sagar missed the train to Delhi, but got on the next one on Tuesday morning. His mother Rani Sharma only got to know of the incident when the media turned up at their home.

The family — Sagar, his sister and their parents — originally from Unnao, has been living in a rented accommodation in Lucknow for the past 15 years. His friend Vivek Jaiswal described him as a supporter of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, and said he had an interest in acting.

⚡ Best of Express: Read our full coverage of the Parliament security breach

👉🏽 On the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack, a massive security breach took place in Lok Sabha yesterday, when two intruders leapt into the chamber from the visitors gallery and opened smoke cans. Meanwhile, outside the Parliament, two others were arrested for protesting with coloured smoke.

👉🏽 But how did they manage to dodge layers of security inside the Parliament House? We explain. 

👉🏽 Since the incident, the entry of visitors in the House has now been suspended. As one would expect, jumping into the chamber of the House is not permitted under the Rules of the House. What do the rules say? Read our report. 

👉🏽 Turns out, just a day before the security breach, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) floated a tender for additional security infrastructure, including gadgets and bulletproof barriers, for the Parliament complex. We break down the CPWD’s proposed project.

👉🏽 “I was at a vantage point, right outside the chamber from where more MPs rushed out – some anxious, the others agitated.” The Indian Express’ Deputy Editor Liz Mathew witnessed Wednesday’s intrusion from the media gallery of the Parliament. She recounts what happened.