NEW DELHI: Speaker of the Lok Sabha Om Birla said on Monday that a high-level committee is looking into the security breach that occurred on December 13 and that he was troubled by the “politicisation” of the matter. During Question Hour, the Speaker informed the members that the Lok Sabha secretariat is responsible for overseeing Parliament’s security and that the suspension of certain opposition members had nothing to do with the events of December 13 but rather with the members’ bringing of placards to the House. He claimed that some of the recommendations made to him at the all-party meeting to improve the security of the parliament had already been put into practice and that a high-level committee had started its investigation.The Speaker asked the members to take their seats and stated that he will continue to consult with them on the matter. “It is regrettable that this issue is being politicised…It is disrespectful to the House’s dignity to enter the Well and shout slogans. I want to talk about important issues with your (the opposition’s) cooperation,” he said. Amit Shah, the home minister, is under pressure from the opposition parties to make a statement regarding the events of December 13. The Speaker adjourned the House until noon while the members persisted in their protest.
