After snakes leave, monkey walks into Delhi assembly

NEW DELHI: A cheeky monkey sauntered into the Capital’s power corridor, after a couple of snakes slithered out days before.

The trespass happened at the Vidhan Sabha, the high-security British-era building that houses the Delhi government’s 70-member assembly in the leafy Civil Lines neighbourhood.

The uninvited visitor stunned legislators on Thursday afternoon and interrupted a discussion on guest teachers in government schools. The monkey entered the House from the door behind the seats of opposition lawmakers, quietly walked through the Well and left from the gallery next to the seats of the chief minister and his deputy.

The intrusion forced Kasturba Nagar legislator Madan Lal to stop his speech for some time and a hush engulfed the assembly, sitting for its monsoon session.

The silence was broken when guards and marshals bustled to fix the security breach.

“All doors leading to the House were closed immediately. The monkey entered from the MLA lodge 1 and left from MLA lodge 2 on the opposite end. It would have crossed six gates. It was certainly a major security breach,” a guard said.

Turns out, monkeys are not the only trespassers at the Vidhan Sabha, which was built in 1912 and housed the Parliament before the one near India Gate was built.

Security discovered two snakes — around two feet long — in the building on Tuesday. The alarm was sounded and forest officials are told to check the premises every morning.

Snakes often crawl into the building, buffeted by a woody ridge and the Yamuna, during the monsoon.

“Two wildlife inspectors do a recce of the House every morning before the assembly begins. It is an old building with wooden structures that are hollow from inside, making it easier for them to take shelter. Also, it is damp inside with little sunlight,” a forest official said.

The heritage building apparently has a secret tunnel right beneath the House, where the legislators sit during sessions.

Last year, assembly speaker Ram Niwas Goel said plans were afoot to get the department of archaeology to solve the mystery of the tunnel, which leads to the Red Fort.

All doors leading to the House were closed immediately. The monkey entered from the MLA lodge 1 and left from MLA lodge 2 on the opposite end

SECURITY GUARD