Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the country’s biggest issue of unemployment was the reason behind the recent Parliament security breach incident.

He said the youth of the country are not getting jobs due to the Narendra Modi government’s policies and their desperation for employment led to the December 13 incident.

Advertisement

“There has definitely been a security lapse, but the reason behind it is the country’s biggest issue – unemployment!,” he added.

On December 13, two men – Manoranjan D and Sagar Sharma – jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitors’ gallery and set off smoke canisters in one of the biggest security breach in Parliament.

Almost at the same time, two of their associates – Neelam and Amol Shinde – also set off similar yellow smoke canisters outside the Parliament and raised slogans against dictatorship and unemployment.

They reportedly wanted to draw the government’s attention towards the issues of unemployment, injustice and women’s safety.

Following the incident, all the four accused and their three other associates have been arrested by the Delhi police.

The four main accused have been charged under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and sent to a seven-day police custody.

The Opposition has criticised the government over the security lapse in Parliament.

Several MPs, who demanded Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s resignation over the incident, were suspended from attending the Winter Session of Parliament.

Reacting to the Congress leader’s claim that unemployment was behind the Parliament security breach, BJP leader Amit Malviya said, “…For the record, unemployment in India is at 3.2%, the lowest in six years.”

He further said Gandhi should explain the close link of those involved in the breach with the Congress, TMC and the CPI(M).

“Instead, Rahul Gandhi and I.N.D.I Alliance leaders must explain the close linkages of those involved in the Parliament breach with the Congress, TMC, and the CPI(M),” he said.

Earlier, Malviya had also posted pictures of one of the accused with a TMC MLA. However, the accused were provided entry passes by BJP’s Mysore MP Pratap Simha.