Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan constituted a nine-member committee of parliamentarians on Monday to probe whether or not Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Bhagwant Mann’s videography of the Parliament House complex, including the room where parliamentary questions were being sorted, had jeopardised its security. The panel has been asked to submit a report by August 3.
“The member’s audio-visual recording of Parliament and posting it on the social media puts the security of Parliament in peril,” the Speaker said.
Several members had expressed concern on Friday last. The member “is advised not to attend the sittings of the House” until a decision was taken in the matter, Ms. Mahajan said.
Mr. Mann was not present in the House.
Mann seeks time
The committee, headed by BJP MP Kirit Somaiya, began its work on Monday evening itself.
The other members are Meenakshi Lekhi and Satyapal Singh of the BJP; Anandrao Adsul of the Shiv Sena; Thota Narasimham of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP); P. Venugopal of the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK); Ratna Nag of the Trinamool Congress (TMC); Bhratruhari Mahtab of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and K.C. Venugopal of the Congress. No member from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the AAP’s rival in Punjab, has been included in the committee.
Members told The Hindu that Mr. Mann had sought three days time to depose before the committee and explain his actions.
“We took a look at the video itself, and our enquiries will mostly look at whether the rule book, which disallows any premature viewing of parliamentary notices, was violated and also violation of rule 354 that forbids videography of Parliament without proper permission,” said a member.
To meet daily
Sources said Speaker Mahajan, by setting up the committee, had indicated that Mr. Mann’s expulsion or loss of membership of the House would be the last possible punishment.
Members said it was decided that the committee would meet every day till the report was ready.
“We have asked some officials of the Parliament’s security staff to depose before us on Tuesday and we shall be calling Delhi police officials to weigh in on the matter,” said a source.
“The inquiry committee shall inquire into the serious security implications and related aspects, suggest suitable remedial measures to avoid recurrence of such incidents in future and recommend appropriate action in the matter,” Ms. Mahajan said, reading out her ruling on Monday morning.
‘Encroachment on rights’
Mr. Mann was a little taken aback at the turn of events. “With this decision, it means that I cannot raise issues of public interest till August 3. They could have told me to appear before the committee and allowed me to attend the House... Attending the Session in Parliament is my right. They have encroached upon the rights of lakhs of people.”
The AAP MP said he would obey the “orders” of the Speaker.
