This Week in Explainers: How the Parliament security breach was planned

It's been a shocker of a week for India. The winter session in Parliament has been rocky. But it was the security breach at the Lok Sabha that left the country jolted. Two conspirators intruded the chambers of the Lower House and two others created a ruckus outside. But how did this happen at one of India’s most guarded buildings? We have been tracking the story closely.The other sensational khabar was about a large cash haul undercovered in a tax raid on Congress MP Dhiraj Sahu – a whopping Rs 351 crore. It was raining money and how. The Congress was left red-faced, distancing themselves from the neta.The grand old party has problems aplenty and the BJP is trying something new. The saffron party’s pick for chief ministers in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan has come as a surprise. But if insiders are to be believed, it is looking at the bigger picture – the 2024 general elections.All this and more in our weekly roundup of explainers from India.1. Let’s start with the biggest story of the week. The Parliament security breach. On the 22nd anniversary of the Parliament attack, MPs had a big security scare. A man jumped from the visitors’ gallery and ran into the Lok Sabha chamber; another remained there. They deployed canisters spewing yellow smoke. After much commotion, they were overpowered by MPs. Two others – a man and a woman – were arrested from outside the Parliament with similar smoke canisters.Six people were involved in the plot hatched over 11 months. Who are they and what was their motive? And what was their connection to Bhagat Singh? We answer all the questions in our explainers and also look back at history.[caption id="attachment_13508412" align="alignnone" width="640"] Police personnel investigate after two people jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery, and another two sprayed coloured gas from canisters while protesting outside the Parliament premises, in New Delhi, on Wednesday. PTI[/caption]2. India had yet another security scare earlier in the week – at the Hindon airbase in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad. Locals raised an alarm after finding a four-foot tunnel under the boundary wall at the Western Air Command’s main base. The matter is being investigated on “high priority”. We tell you all about it.3. As we prepare to usher in 2024, so is the BJP. They have big plans for the coming year when general elections will be held in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is looking to win a third term. The recently concluded Assembly elections were considered the semi-finals before 2024’s test. The party performed well, winning the Hindi heartland states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.In a surprise move, the BJP picked new faces over veterans. In Madhya Pradesh, Mohan Yadav was named CM. But why was Shivraj Singh Chouhan replaced?In Rajasthan, Bhajan Lal Sharma was the party’s choice for the top job with two deputies Diya Kumari, from the erstwhile Jaipur royal family, and Prem Chand Bairwa. Here are stories about the rise of the princess and her boss, a first-time MLA.[caption id="attachment_13508482" align="alignnone" width="640"] Prime Minister Narendra Modi being greeted by new Rajasthan deputy chief minister Diya Kumari during the latter's swearing-in ceremony, in Jaipur, Friday. PTI[/caption]4. Corruption is rampant in politics. And some netas only reinforce the belief. The latest example comes from Jharkhand. During searches by income tax officials, which went on for days, more than Rs 351 crore was recovered from Congress MP Dhiraj Sahu. They are calling it “the largest cash haul” in India. We bring you the inside story.5. It was an important week for Jammu and Kashmir. The Supreme Court delivered its judgment on the abrogation of Article 370, upholding the Centre’s move in 2019. We take a look at the verdict and its key takeaways. And how J&K has changed in the last few years.6. Menstrual leave is up for debate once again. Union Minister Smriti Irani has opposed the idea of paid period leave for women employees, saying “menstruation is not a handicap”.The government is not considering making paid menstrual leave across workplaces a requirement, she told Lok Sabha. There might be no law yet but a few companies in India like Swiggy, Zomato, and Byju’s allow it.But is period leave a necessity and which countries permit it? We explain.Hope you enjoy our recommendations and come back for more. And if you want some light reading, don’t miss our piece on why you must not wash your chicken before you cook.Have a good weekend.