The Hindu : Checking of MPs' ID cards to be made mandatory

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Aug 14, 2003

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Checking of MPs' ID cards to be made mandatory

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI AUG. 13. A review meeting of Parliament security today decided to make foolproof arrangements by installing electronic gadgets and making the checking of identity cards mandatory for everybody, including MPs, before the next session of Parliament.

The meeting, convened after the ``breaching'' of Parliament security by a look-alike of the Union Minister, Shatrughan Sinha, with a TV news channel crew trailing him, also decided to take action against those involved in the ``impersonation drama''. Before the winter session begins, usually during the third/fourth week of November, the new identification system would perform identity synchronisation of the car, driver and the MP through a radio frequency tag before allowing entry into the Parliament complex. The integrated electronic equipment has already been tested.

Ever since the December 13, 2001, terrorist attack, the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Security headed by the Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker, P.M. Sayeed, has been periodically reviewing the new systems put in place to check unauthorised entry. Following the entry of Mr. Sinha's look-alike, three Parliament security personnel have been suspended. Sources reiterated that action would also be taken against others who provided legitimacy to the look-alike's entry.

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