AAP MP Bhagwant Mann’s video creates ruckus; Lok Sabha adjourned

NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party member of Lok Sabha Bhagwant Mann is in deep trouble and could face action by the Speaker as almost all political parties on Friday demanded he be punished for ‘causing serious security breach’ for posting a self-shot video in social media, showing him travelling past security barriers on the approach to Parliament, the gate used by MPs and even the inside of offices on the premises.

Completely isolated among MPs and with both Houses adjourning over protests against his action, Mann, who had earlier vowed to repeat his ‘video-show’, extended an apology on Friday outside Parliament but he is still facing the possibility of some disciplinary action by the House. “All Parliament members are agitated, issue won’t be resolved by a simple apology. It’s a matter of security of the Parliament…Action should be taken, (I) would have taken a prompt decision if it (the filming) had been inside the House,” Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said after BJP members demanded Mann’s suspension.

Some other members like BJD’s Bhatruhari Mehtab demanded that a panel of MPs be constituted to investigate the matter and decide on the action. “Thirteen people have laid down their lives for security of Parliament once. I know the matter is serious, I’ll see to it,” the Speaker said. Earlier in the day, Mann, on being summoned, had met the Speaker to offer his apology Many MPs recalled how 13 security personal had laid down their lives when terrorists attacked Parliament many years ago and how those terrorists could not enter inside Parliament building mainly because they had no knowledge of the layout of the complex and the security arrangements.

Therefore, they argued, Mann’s action amounted to letting out the security arrangement in Parliament and endangering the lives of people’s representatives The Lok Sabha failed any business transaction on Friday as Speaker Mahajan, who usually doesn’t adjourn the House quickly whenever Opposition raises din, first adjourned the House for an hour within minutes after it met in the morning and later adjourned it for the day after allowing MPs to register their protest over the incident. Incidentally, on both occasions it were BJP and NDA MPs who were on the forefront of vociferous protest, with many giving breach of privileges notice against Mann.

Opposition parties, including Congress, BJD and AIADMK, too, condemned the incident and sought action. Rajya Sabha too was adjourned for the day after .