New Delhi, 4 Aug

Several MPs on Monday slammed the chain snatching incident involving Congress Lok Sabha member R Sudha in the high-security Chanakyapuri area, calling it a glaring failure of law and order in the national capital.

Sudha, a Congress MP from Tamil Nadu, was out on a morning walk near Tamil Nadu Bhavan around 6 am when an unidentified motorcycle-borne man snatched her gold chain and tore her clothes before fleeing.

“When I shouted, no one came to help. After some time, I saw a patrol vehicle 200 metres away, but they did not respond. I then called our party whip Mr Manickam Tagore, and he arranged for the police to come.

"I have filed a complaint with the police and also written to the Speaker and the Home Minister,” Sudha told PTI Videos inside the Parliament complex.

The incident has sparked sharp criticism from opposition MPs who questioned the state of women’s safety in the national capital and demanded accountability from the Union Home Ministry, which oversees Delhi Police.

“This is extremely unfortunate. An MP’s chain is snatched in broad daylight in a highly secured area like Chanakyapuri. What must be happening to the common public?” asked Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi.

She said that Chanakyapuri is touted as a zone with heightened security and surveillance, and yet a woman MP was "attacked".

“Where is the Centre’s accountability? What happened to the double-engine government promise?” she said.

Congress MP Jebi Mather also raised serious concerns, saying, “Where do we stand on women’s safety in the national capital? A woman MP is attacked, her clothes are torn, her chain is snatched -- all in the most secure area filled with embassies."

"This shows even women MPs are not safe under the nose of the Home Minister. What happened to ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’? It’s only a slogan.”

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari called the incident a daily reflection of Delhi’s "deteriorating" law and order under Central rule.

“It seems there’s no law and order left under the Modi government. This happened in Chanakyapuri, which is considered the most secure area. What does that say about the safety of ordinary citizens?” he said, adding that states ruled by the BJP, like Bihar, are also witnessing daily violence.

Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan stressed that the incident exposed the vulnerability of the national capital.

“This is not just about a gold chain. This happened to a woman MP walking outside Tamil Nadu Bhavan in Lutyens’ Delhi. If she is not safe, who is? The Home Minister is busy focusing on elections and voter manipulation in Bihar instead of law and order in Delhi,” she alleged.

Union Minister SP Singh Baghel defended the Centre, saying, “The situation is much better now than before.”