Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned on Friday following loud protests led by the Treasury benches over Aam Aadmi Party member Bhagwant Mann secretly filming the journey from his home to Parliament and live streaming it on his Facebook page.
Members considered this a breach of security and privilege, with Speaker Sumitra Mahajan terming it a “serious issue.”
In the nearly 12-minute video, Mr. Mann is seen giving a running commentary as his vehicle crosses security barricades and enters Parliament. “I will show you today something you would not have seen earlier,” he is heard saying.
He then enters a room where questions to be taken up in Parliament are being sorted and describes the process.
As soon as the Lok Sabha met for the day, NDA members raised the issue, terming it a security breach.
The BJP’s Kirit Somaiya demanded his disqualification as an MP while his party colleague and former Union Home Secretary R.K. Singh said Mr. Mann had jeopardised the security of the sensitive complex. He demanded a breach of privilege motion against Mr. Mann.
While NDA members were raising the issue from their benches, RJD and SP members rushed to the well holding placards over quota, apparently expressing their anguish over the delay in the passage of a Bill on reservation in promotions.
The Speaker, looking at the din, adjourned the House till 12 noon. During the adjournment, Mr Mann met her and apologised. When the House met again, Ms. Mahajan said amid the din that the matter was “serious” and was under consideration.
Amidst all this, AAP MP Harinder Singh Khalsa accused his party colleague of coming drunk to Parliament. “When I was given the division number (seat number) 495 in the House, I could smell alcohol from 496 occupied by Bhagwant Mann and I requested Madam Speaker to change my seat,” he said. His request, he said, was still pending. “I’m a 69-year-old practising Sikh and cannot bear the reek of alcohol,” he added.
“We will take some action,” the Speaker said, adding that 13 people had laid down their lives for the security of Parliament, referring to the terror attack of December 13, 2001. As the uproar continued, she then adjourned the House for the day.
In the Rajya Sabha, Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien termed Mr. Mann’s actions serious and said the government should take cognisance of the security violation and take appropriate legal action.
“If members wanted a discussion on the issue, an appropriate resolution has to be brought,” he said. While criticising Mr. Mann, the Opposition Congress and the CPI(M) wanted to know what action the government had taken for the “serious security breach” and what stopped it from taking action in the Lok Sabha, where the BJP has an absolute majority.
Even as Mr. Kurien read out the procedure of rule 267 under which an adjournment of proceedings for a discussion was sought, BJP members shouted slogans and moved into the aisles, forcing him to adjourn the House till noon.
Naresh Gujral of the Shiromani Akali Dal said action must be taken against the AAP MP for his “trivial” behaviour.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi sought action under the National Security Act as Mr. Mann had exposed the security apparatus inside Parliament.
When the House resumed proceedings at 2 p.m., it was again adjourned as the Treasury benches created a storm over the issue.
Sharad Yadav of the JD(U) said it was naïve on Mr Mann’s part to have uploaded the video. “The Speaker and the Chairman are presiding officers. It is serious, much has been said. The Speaker can take action. Due to the Punjab polls, there is so much [hue and cry],” he said.
Due to the commotion, a private member Bill to amend the “Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014” could not be taken up when the House resumed proceedings after lunch. Pramod Tiwari of the Congress accused the ruling alliance of “blocking the interests of Andhra Pradesh.”
