Aam Admi Party (AAP) MP Bhagwant Mann will not be able to attend the remainder of the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament after a nine-member inquiry committee which is looking into the incident of
Aam Admi Party (AAP) MP Bhagwant Mann will not be able to attend the remainder of the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament after a nine-member inquiry committee which is looking into the incident of breach of security involving the member, received on Wednesday, another two weeks extension to give its report on the matter.
Lok Sabha Speaker, Sumitra Mahajan gave her approval to the panel’s request seeking more time as they want to examine more witnesses and look into certain issues in detail.
Ms Mahajan asked the AAP MP not to attend the House till a decision is taken in the matter.
BJP MP Kirit Somaiya, who heads the panel, was to submit the report on Wednesday. However, it has now been given time till August 18, to do so. The panel was formed on July 25. The Monsoon session is to end on August 12. On July 25 too, the Speaker had asked Mann not to attend the House till a decision was arrived at. The panel was set up after Mr Mann had put out in the social media a video of his vehicle passing security barricades and entering the Parliament complex. He had also videographed a room where Parliament questions were being sorted.
According to agency reports, while reacting to the Speaker’s decision, Mr Mann said that he should be allowed to take part in the proceedings till the committee files its report. The Sangrur MP said he is being “stopped from raising the voice of people including those of poor and dalits”.
“They (Lok Sabha panel) can throw me out. But at least they should make the decision fast. Now they have taken two more weeks...Let the panel probe the matter but I should be allowed to attend the House till then. I am not held guilty yet. They want to suppress my voice,” Mr Mann said.
