June 19th 2024.
New Delhi: A member of the Rajya Sabha, MM Abdulla, has expressed his dissatisfaction with the behavior of some security personnel towards him at the Parliament. He has written a letter to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Jagdeep Dhankhar, detailing the incident. Copies of the letter were also sent to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and the Rajya Sabha Secretary General.
Abdulla, who hails from Tamil Nadu and represents the DMK party, recounted that he was stopped by CISF personnel at around 2:30 pm on Tuesday while entering the Parliament House Estate in a Parliament Provided Ferry Vehicle. The security personnel questioned the purpose of his visit and where he was headed inside the premises, before he had even reached the Boom Barrier.
In his letter, Abdulla expressed his shock and disappointment at this behavior, stating that it was unprecedented and had never happened before when the PSS (Parliament Security Services) was in charge of the security. He emphasized that as a Member of Parliament, he has the right to enter the Parliament premises, even if he does not have any official engagements. He also stated that he is only answerable to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, who is the custodian of the House.
The incident has left Abdulla deeply affected and he has called upon the Chairman to take note of the "unprecedented misbehaviour" by the CISF personnel and take appropriate action against them. He also urged the Chairman to uphold the dignity of the Rajya Sabha and its members.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also condemned the incident, calling it an overreach of the Executive. He stated that subordinating Parliament to the control of the Executive goes against the very principles of the Constitution, which provides for a clear separation of powers among the three branches of government. Tharoor pointed out that this incident occurred during a heated election campaign and that the Home Ministry's control over Parliament security should not be allowed to stand.
TMC Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale also voiced his support for Abdulla, stating that Parliament is not the personal property of the Home Minister Amit Shah, who oversees the paramilitary. He asserted that as Members of the House, it is their right to be present in Parliament and cannot be questioned about their visit. Gokhale also criticized the replacement of Parliament Security Services with CISF, questioning whether it was done to obstruct the duties of Indian MPs. He urged the Home Minister to understand that Parliament is not anyone's personal property and that MPs cannot be stopped and interrogated at will.
Gokhale also called for an investigation into the incident and accused the paramilitary personnel of acting as a private army. He reminded them that their duty is to provide security to Parliament, not to serve as a personal militia for the Home Minister. The incident has raised concerns about the role and behavior of the CISF personnel in Parliament and calls for swift action to be taken to ensure the safety and dignity of the Members of the House.
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