Defending its Member of Parliament Bhagwant Mann for allegedly filming the Parliament House complex, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders said that his intentions weren’t bad and he was only trying to ‘show’ the procedure of asking questions in the House.
In the nearly 12-minute video that Mr. Mann shared live on Facebook, the AAP MP filmed his vehicle crossing security barricades and him entering the Parliament on Thursday.
Mr Mann, who appeared before Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan after being summoned, has tendered an unconditional apology for his video, which caused an uproar in both Houses of Parliament on Friday.
“Mr. Mann was trying to show the people how only 20 names were picked from a draw to ask questions (during Zero Hour)... since representatives have the right to ask questions in Parliament, this lucky draw system leaves many MPs without a chance to put forth their questions,” AAP leader Ashutosh said, adding that there was no security breach as projected by the BJP-led Central government.
Attacking the Centre for the way it is running the Parliament, Mr Ashutosh said: “The session is run on the basis of lucky draw. But they are trying to divert the attention from the real issue.”
Another senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh said: “It was an innocuous video and it was certainly avoidable. He has been told to be careful in the future.”
Mr. Singh added that there are several videos available online and ‘obviously’ videographed by staff or MPs, “but no action is taken. However, Mr. Mann is projected as a criminal before the public”.
The AAP leaders said that these are tactics of the BJP to divert attention from the Una incident and the BJP’s ‘anti-Dalit’ stand.
