Access to the Parliament complex – a particularly high-profile issue after last week’s security breach – will now be guarded by the Central Industrial Security Force, or CISF, the government said in a notification issued Wednesday.

The CISF will displace Delhi Police, which will continue to protect the exterior perimeter – as the agency in charge, and will take over all related responsibilities, including frisking entrants.

Security within the complex will continue to be the responsibility of the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

The change will be enforced after a detailed security survey of Parliament, interior and exterior, that was ordered by the Home Ministry, and follows a security breach last week.

According to the CISF website, the force provides “integrated security cover to sensitive public sector undertakings”. At present it guards over 350 such locations, including airports and nuclear facilities.

On December 13 two men gained access to the Lok Sabha’s visitor gallery via passes issued by a BJP MP’s office, and popped yellow smoke canisters inside the chamber, triggering a massive security scare. These were slipped past Delhi Police’s physical checks in cavities cut into custom-made shoes.

Two others – a man and a woman – opened red and yellow smoke cans outside the complex.

All four have been arrested and are being interrogated by Delhi Police. Two others, including the alleged mastermind, are also in custody, but the entire incident has led to a massive political row, with the opposition demanding answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government.

Hours after the security scare, the government had announced tightening of protocols for entry into the Parliament complex, barring visitors and non-essential staff. Separate entrances were allotted for MPs and their staff members, while press (temporarily banned) were given a third gate.

Visitors, when allowed again, must enter from a fourth gate.

In addition, the visitors’ gallery will be encased in glass to stop people from jumping into the House chamber, and body scan machines – similar to those in airports – will also be installed.

A close aide of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, BJP MP and former chief of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), who came under fire for sexual harassment allegations, was today elected the new president of the wrestling body. 

Sanjay Singh won 40 out of 47 votes in a sweeping victory over Anita Sheoran, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist who was backed by top wrestlers who had taken to the streets earlier this over sexual harassment allegations against Mr Singh, a six-time MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Kaiserganj who has led the wrestling body for 12 years.

Sanjay Singh has earlier served as vice-president of the Uttar Pradesh wrestling body. He was part of the WFI’s last executive council and its joint secretary since 2019.

In another significant development, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, who was in the race for the vice-president post, lost the election.

Besides the top post of president, election were held to fill up posts for a senior vice-president, four vice-presidents, a secretary general, a treasurer, two joint secretaries and five executive members.

Ace wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat, who led the agitation against Mr Singh, had been promised that none of his family members or aides will be allowed to contest the elections. So, Brij Bhushan’s son Prateek and son-in-law Vishal Singh did not enter the race, but his aide Sanjay Singh’s nomination was cleared.

Sanjay Singh and his associates had earlier said they had the support of wrestling federations from most states. The wrestling fraternity, he had said, knows who worked for the betterment of sports and will keep it in mind while casting their vote. “I am winning his election,” he told NDTV earlier.

The process for the WFI election began in July, but court cases kept delaying it. This led to the international wrestling body suspending WFI. The Supreme Court recently set aside a stay imposed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, clearing the decks for the polls.

3 more Opposition MPs suspended from Lok Sabha for unruly behaviour, total count now 146