Parliament Attack: It was a cold day on December 13 of year 2001, when the Indian Parliament was in the midst of its regular winter session. Suddenly, gunshots rang out without warning. The parliamentarians were startled and initially mistook the sound for firecrackers. Within moments, security personnel rushed in, took control of the building, sealed the परिसर, and moved MPs and Ministers to secure locations. Several prominent leaders and journalists, including Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani, were still inside.
All this unfolded while the House was deeply engaged in a heated debate on the Women’s Reservation Bill. By then, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Leader of the Opposition Sonia Gandhi had already left Parliament. No one had imagined that in the next few moments, the biggest terrorist attack on the temple of Indian democracy was about to take place.
White Ambassador and Gate Number 12
It was around 11:30 in the morning when a white Ambassador car sped through Gate Number 12 of the Parliament complex. The vehicle bore fake stickers of the Home Ministry and Parliament, which immediately raised suspicion due to its speed and reckless movement. Security personnel chased the car, and in the chaos, it rammed into the Vice President’s car parked nearby.
This collision exposed the terrorist, making them step outside the car and open indiscriminate fire with their AK-47 rifles. This was when the security agencies realised that the ‘Temple of Democracy’ was under attack
What happened next?
All the doors of the Parliament building were closed. The MPs and ministers inside were moved to safe places. Security forces took charge outside. Suddenly, one terrorist was trying to enter the Parliament building through Gate Number 1. However, he was gunned down on the spot by the alert security personnel.
The terrorists were clear on their deadly mission. The remaining four terrorists rushed towards Gate Number 4, aiming to enter the Parliament. A fierce fire exchange happened between the terrorists and the security personnel, in which three were killed. The last terrorist fled towards Gate Number 5, but he too fell victim to the security forces’ bullets. The bloody drama unfolded from 11:30 AM to 4:00 PM on December 13, 2001.
Parliament terrorist attack- 9 Bravehearts Martyred
The nation lost nine of its brave sons and daughters. Five Delhi Police personnel, a CRPF woman constable Kamlesh Kumari, two Rajya Sabha Secretariat employees, and a gardener were martyred while fighting the terrorists. It was due to the bravery of these heroes that the terrorists could not reach the main hall of the Parliament building; otherwise, a major tragedy could have occurred.
Parliament terrorist attack- Afzal Guru Hanged in 2013
Just two days after the attack, on December 15, 2001, the Delhi Police uncovered the conspiracy. The mastermind Afzal Guru, SAR Geelani, Afshan Guru, and Shaukat Hussain were arrested. A long legal battle ensued. The Supreme Court acquitted Geelani and Afshan, while Shaukat Hussain’s sentence was reduced. However, Afzal Guru, the main conspirator of the attack, was found guilty. On February 9, 2013, at 8:00 AM, Afzal Guru was hanged in Tihar Jail, Delhi. Even today, December 13th reminds us of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives to protect democracy.
Rajya Sabha MP and BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla took to X to pay tribute to security personnel who sacrificed their lives during the Parliament attack
2001 में भारत की संसद की रक्षा करते हुए अपने प्राणों की आहुति देने वाले सभी वीर शहीदों को विनम्र श्रद्धांजलि।
उनका साहस, कर्तव्यनिष्ठा और बलिदान राष्ट्र की आत्मा में सदा अमर रहेगा।जैसा कि कहा गया है—
“शहीदों की चिताओं पर लगेंगे हर बरस मेले,
वतन पर मरने वालों का यही बाकी निशां… pic.twitter.com/B9GjoEQPhi— Rajeev Shukla (@ShuklaRajiv) December 13, 2025
