A monkey has found its way into the reading room meant for MPs and journalists. It roamed around the reading room for half an hour. It jumped on the tables and climbed up electrical wires in the gallery area and again climbed down. After failing to discover an exit from the library for about 30 minutes, it made its way out of the main door and through the green-carpeted corridor, and finally left by the main gate of the building on the side meant for VIPs.

The library staff kept calling for Parliament security, but to no avail. There was no help forthcoming as there was no way to catch the simian in Parliament in the absence of a langoor, which had been earlier deployed to deal with the recurring monkey menace.

Earlier, langoors were employed for chasing away monkeys in parts of Lutyens' Delhi. But the decision to do away with langoors had been taken, with the Parliament House bidding them goodbye in June end, when their employment was terminated. Monkeys are being again spotted on Parliament premises since langoors took their last pay and left.

The security staff at the Central Hall door has quickly shut the gates and prevented the monkey from intruding into the place where MPs, ministers and journalists, along with the catering staff are always present in good numbers.

By Premji