Recovery of dangerous explosive from inside the UP assembly on Friday, has exposed major holes in the security system. Though this is the first time explosive material has been recovered, there have been other instance of lapses in the security system of the assembly building.
Generally, the building is guarded by a three-tier security system. In the outermost ring, state police constables guard the building. Inside the building, the vigil is maintained by security men deployed by administrative staff of the secretariat department. Assembly Marshals are responsible for the security of the assembly hall. When the house is in session, security is hiked.
Despite these security arrangements, in 2016, a car entered the building premises without an authorised pass. When it was detected, the issue was widely discussed for a few days, and forgotten later. In 2014, the issue of fake security passes came to light. These fake entry passes were issued in nexus with secretariat staff. Three officers were suspended in connection with the case.
In 2010, the security of Lal Bahadur Shastri building, which houses office of the chief minister and other senior bureaucrats, suffered a major security breach when a suspected ISI agent was nabbed by security personnel. He had entered the building in the guise of maintenance staff. After this incident the state government had chalked out a comprehensive plan for the security of VIP buildings. But it seems the plan just remained on paper.
In January 2017, cops had arrested a fake section officer named Abhishek Nigam who was running a fake recruitment racket from the chief secretary’s guest room—a highly secured area of the building.
Now with the recovery of explosive from the assembly, the security lapse has come under the limelight again. Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said, “Planting an explosive inside the building is a deep conspiracy against 22 crore people of the state. Culprit will be behind the bars soon.”
Another state minister Om Prakash Rajbhar said, “This shows there is a grave security lapse and it needs to be probed thoroughly.” Umesh Diwedi, an MLC said, “Recovery of explosive from Vidhan Sabha building shows that terrorists and criminals have great audacity. Yogi government should take stern measures to deal with them.”
