The Lok Sabha on Friday suspended Aam Aadmi Party MP Bhagwant Mann, who was found guilty of compromising the security of Parliament, for the remaining Winter Session, report PTI. The session will conclude on December 16.
Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Kirit Somaiya, who heads the nine-member panel investigating the case of Mann’s live-streaming a video from Parliament, had tabled the report on Thursday and put forward the motion to suspend Mann. The House approved the motion, saying. “The House accepts the findings and recommendations of the committee that Bhagwant Mann has committed a highly objectionable act ... and that he may be suspended from the membership of the House for the remaining period of the current session.”
In the report, the committee said the conduct of Mann was “highly objectionable” and it goes on to show that he is “bereft of basic knowledge, etiquette and responsibilities of the office he holds”. The panel asked him to strictly adhere to the norms and standards of etiquette.
Earlier, Mann had been asked to skip the House sessions till a decision on the case was taken. On August 2, the inquiry panel was divided regarding the degree of punishment that should be meted out to him. While some wanted to simply reprimand Mann, others believed that stricter punishment was warranted.
Mann drew criticism for live-streaming a Parliament session on Facebook on July 21 while the Monsoon Session was under way. The video reportedly showed the approach to the premises of Parliament building, the security pickets and internal security positions. Mann has maintained that his act was unintentional, and that he had apologised to the Speaker.
On July 26, the inquiry panel had declared that the comedian-turned-politician had, indeed,exposed the House’s security system in the video. Moreover, a few Lok Sabha MPs had demanded that Mann be sent to a rehabilitation centre to deal with his alleged drug and alcohol addiction problem. BJP’s Maheish Girri, Shiromani Akali Dal’s Prem Singh Chandumajra and suspended AAP MP Harinder Singh Khalsa have urged Mahajan to not allow Mann to attend Parliament sessions until he is given clean chit from a rehab centre.
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