New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday claimed that Lalit Jha, the suspected mastermind in the Parliament security breach, has close ties with Trinamool Congress (TMC). Jha, who had been absconding since yesterday's incident, was arrested by Delhi Police tonight.
BJP's West Bengal president Sukanta Majumdar took to social media platform X to share a photograph in which the TMC leader Tapas Roy is purportedly seen alongside the 'mastermind' Lalit Jha.
Both Houses of Parliament witnessed an uproar on Thursday over the security breach with opposition members demanding a discussion on the issue.
14 opposition MPs, including Trinamool Congress' Derek O'Brien and DMK's Kanimozhi, were suspended from the Parliament Winter Session for disrupting proceedings.
BJP's Majumdar said in a post on X, "Lalit Jha, the mastermind of the attack on our Temple of Democracy, had been in close association with TMC's Tapas Roy for a long time... Isn't this proof enough for an investigation into the connivance of the leader?"
The BJP state chief also demanded a probe into the TMC leader's alleged ties to the accused.
According to police, Jha, who is a resident of Kolkata, is a teacher by profession and the main conspirator of the security breach.
BJP MP Locket Chatterjee also made similar claims, alleging a close link between TMC and the accused 'mastermind.'
"The mastermind of this situation was Lalit Jha and the police have been looking for him. Investigation is underway. Lalit Jha has been missing since yesterday, he had everybody's phone...TMC MP can be seen with Lalit Jha," Chatterjee told ANI.
She, however, stated that the opposition parties should not do politics on the issue of Parliament security breach.
"All should be united at this time. There should not be any politics on this matter," Chatterjee told PTI.
Meanwhile, BJP IT Department head Amit Malviya said the "TMC connection" of Lalit Jha has emerged as several pictures of him with party leaders have gone viral.
"TMC connection of Lalit Jha, wanted in the Parliament security breach, now emerges. Several pictures of his with TMC leaders have gone viral. So far, people involved in the entire episode have been found to have links with the Congress, CPI(Maoist) and now the TMC. Isn’t it obvious that a desperate I.N.D.I Alliance, just to undermine the incumbent Govt, has staged an attack on the Indian Parliament? The institution that is voice of 140 crore Indians…," he said.
In another post, BJP's Malviya said, "As details emerge, it is getting obvious that DNA of those, who breached Parliament security, is inextricably linked to the Congress-Communist axis." "The kinds who were part of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra and active participants in the orchestrated protests seen in the past...," he said.
In a major security breach on Wednesday, two men -- Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D -- jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour, released yellow smoke from canisters and shouted slogans before being overpowered by MPs.
Around the same time, two others, including a woman, raised slogans and released yellow smoke from canisters outside the Parliament premises, prompting police to round up the duo.
According to police, the Parliament security breach was well-coordinated and meticulously planned.