Speaker bars AAP MP from Parliament

Bhagwant Mann seeks three days to submit deposition

AAP MP Bhagwant Mann was on Monday barred from Parliament by the Lok Sabha Speaker till a panel submits a report into his live video stream of the Parliament House.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said Mann’s videography of the Parliament complex puts its security “in peril”.

Sumitra directed the nine-member committee, headed by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, to submit its report by August 3.

 The committee had a meeting on Monday and Mann has been given time till Tuesday to explain why he videographed his vehicle passing through security barricades along the road leading to the Parliament complex.

He also videographed a room where Parliament questions were being sorted out. Mann later posted the video on social media, and this led to a huge uproar with members of both the Houses demanding action against him.

However, Mann sought three days’ time to submit his deposition.

"The act by the member of audio-visual recording Parliament and posting it on social media puts the security of Parliament in peril," the Speaker said as the House convened on Monday morning.

Perhaps, sensing punitive action, Mann, also a stand-up comedian, was not present in the House.

In Chandigarh, he described the action as attempts to suppress his voice before the Assembly polls.

“The committee shall inquire into the serious security implications and related aspects.... (and) suggest suitable remedial measures to avoid the recurrence of such incidents in future and recommend appropriate action in the matter," she said.

Along with Somaiya, there are two other MPs from the BJP on the panel — Meenakshi Lekhi and Satyapal Singh. The others are Anandrao Adsul (Shiv Sena), B Mahtab (BJD), Ratna De (TMC), Thota Narasimham (TDP), K C Venugopal (Congress) and P Venugopal (AIADMK).