New Delhi, July 20: A letter from DMK Rajya Sabha MP M.M. Abdulla, claiming potential Islamophobia after being stopped and questioned by CISF personnel inside the Parliament premises, has gone viral on X. The MP was asked to explain his purpose of visit, which he deems either an act of religious discrimination or an attempt to obstruct an opposition member from performing his duties.
Abdulla, who represents Tamil Nadu and serves on the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Committee as well as the Government Assurances Committee, addressed the letter to Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. Dated June 18, 2024, the letter describes an incident at around 2:40 PM when Abdulla was entering the Parliament House Estate in a Parliament-provided ferry vehicle. He was stopped at TKR by CISF personnel before the boom barrier and questioned about his visit.
“I am appalled by this behavior of the CISF personnel who questioned me on the purpose of my visit to the Parliament, a place where I represent the interests of the people and the state of Tamil Nadu,” Abdulla wrote. He highlighted that such unprecedented misbehavior had not occurred when the PSS was in charge of security.
Abdulla asserted that Members of Parliament have the right to enter Parliament without needing official engagements and that any engagements should be disclosed only to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. He expressed his deep distress over the incident, urging Vice President Dhankhar to take action against the erring personnel and uphold the dignity of the Rajya Sabha.
Copies of Abdulla’s letter were also sent to Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju and the Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha. The letter’s circulation on X has ignited a debate about security protocols and potential biases within the newly deployed CISF personnel at the Parliament House Estate.
