On 13th December, four persons were arrested after they breached the security of the parliament complex armed with coloured smoke canisters. While two men jumped into the well of Lok Sabha from the Visitors’ Gallery, two others were chanting slogans outside the parliament after releasing coloured smoke in the area. The two persons detained outside the parliament included a woman named Neelam Azad, who was chanting slogans even as she was taken away from the spot by cops.
Although her family says that she is upset because she is unemployed and she had participated in the farmer protests, now it has been revealed she has been deeply involved in politics, and have participated in several protests over the years.
Most crucially, an undated video has surfaced where she was seen campaigning for Congress and INLD. Attacking the BJP, Neelam had appealed her audience, ‘We will change the party in power. We will bring Congress to power, or bring INLD. BJP is very much cruel, other parties are not that cruel, they listen to the problems of the poor farmers.’
Neelam Azad who breached security in Parliament was seeking votes for Congress and INLD.
— Ankur Singh (@iAnkurSingh) December 13, 2023
Now you'll see suddenly Congress defending her and asking Govt to not take action against her. pic.twitter.com/Ufz1yM5Hww
While the video is undated, probably it was during the farmer protests on the Delhi borders.
A visit to her Facebook profile shows that she has participated in several protests held in and around Delhi in the last few years. As her brother has already told the media, she had participated in the farmer protests in 2020. Her younger brother said that despite having done BA, MA, B.Ed, M.Ed, and M.Phil, apart from clearing CTET and NET, she is still unemployed, which led her to join the protests.
Earlier this year, she joined the wrestlers’ protest in Jantar Mantar in Delhi, even though her link with wrestling is unknown. Reportedly, she was detained along with Sakshi Malik’s mother during the protests in May this year. However, she was released after few hours. She had posted an image of her being carried away by police personnel from the protest site.
She has also participated in protests organised by Krantikari Yuva Sangathan, Krantikari Yuva Sangathan and Pragatishil Azad Yuva Parishad. Neelam was part of various protests demanding government jobs organised by these organisations.
As farmer groups continue protests even after the withdrawal of the farm bills that triggered the original farmer protests, the woman continues to participate in such protests. In photographs on Facebook, she can be seen in protest marches held by Jagruk Kisan Mazdoor Union.
Neelam Azad is also an Ambedkarite, and her brother said that she has been influenced by BR Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh. He informed that she has been distributing books on Bhagat Singh and the Constitution. She had posted several images of attending Jayanti and other events related to Ambedkar.
The woman also opposes the Agnipath scheme of the Indian armed forces. She wrote in June 2022, ‘Boycott Agnipath scheme, no youth should join it.’
