In the aftermath of the security breach during the Winter Session of Parliament, the Lok Sabha secretariat has issued a host of new rules for visitors, including mandatory police verification.
A Parliamentary bulletin issued on January 29 stated that MPs must send their requests for police verification of visitors at least three working days before the scheduled visit. “Gallery passes will be issued subject to the completion of necessary verification of character and antecedents through local police/state police. Passes will not be issued if the verification is not received or received with adverse remarks,” the bulletin said.
All group passes have been discontinued. There has been an unprecedented rush of visitors ever since the opening of the new Parliament building, and especially during the Special Session of Parliament called to pass the law on reservations for women in legislatures. In fact, the Opposition had complained about women visitors raising slogans from the gallery in the Lok Sabha, in violation of the rules.
