NEW DELHI (AFP) – India’s Parliament was halted after a major security breach that saw two people disrupt proceedings by setting off a smoke canister inside the legislature.
The pair were arrested by security, along with two others detained outside the building, after one man jumped onto the floor of the lower house of Parliament from an overhead visitors’ gallery.
Official footage from the session showed one man shouting slogans and vaulting over tables between stunned lawmakers before a device was set off that caused yellow smoke to billow into the chamber.
The motives of the pair and how they managed to evade security checks were unclear, with police in New Delhi yet to release any details on the incident.
Parliament resumed after a brief adjournment, with speaker Om Birla telling lawmakers that four people had been arrested for the disruption.
“Both persons have been arrested and two others outside have also been arrested,” he said.
Birla said that the Parliament was carrying out a thorough probe and the Delhi police too had been given necessary directions.
