A short history of India’s legislative chambers shows why the December 13 breach shouldn’t lead to limited public access
The inviolability of legislatures is at the heart of democracy. Yesterday, two irresponsible citizens broke this basic tenet. They opened a smoke canister and jumped from the public viewing gallery inside the Lok Sabha chamber.
A solemn day: The House was in session, and zero hour was underway. MPs were drawing the government’s and their colleagues’ attention to issues that were either of national interest or of concern for their constituents. Earlier in the day, both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs had paid tributes to the security staff who had sacrificed their lives defending our Parliament from a terrorist attack in 2001.