NEW DELHI, Dec 2: Speaker Sumitra Mahajan today gave one more week’s time to the Lok Sabha panel probing the issue of Bhagwant Mann shooting a video of The Parliament complex and asked the AAP member not to attend the House till a decision is taken in the matter.
The nine-member panel, chaired by BJP member Kirit Somaiya, has now been granted time till December 9 to submit its report. The inquiry committee was to submit its report today.
Mahajan said the decision has been taken after receiving a request from the panel’s chairman seeking extension.
“I have acceded to the request for extension of one more week time and the committee may present their report by Friday, December 9, 2016,” she said.
In view of the seriousness of the matter, Mann is further advised not to attend the House till a decision is taken in the matter, the Speaker added.
The committee was set up on July 25, a week after 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. After facing flak for his act, Mann had defended his move, saying he was only showing people how Parliament functioned.
Later, he had appeared before the committee and demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s suspension from the Lok Sabha for “compromising national security” by allowing Pakistan’s spy agency ISI inside the Pathankot airbase after the terror attack. He had also sought that Modi too be summoned by the committee.
Recently, Mann withdrew his remarks against the Prime Minister and tendered an unconditional apology to the committee.
This is the third extension given to the committee.
“It was a unanimous opinion of all the members of the committee. Whatever Bhagwant Mann has to say he has to give it in writing. The contradictions which are coming in his statement, for that, he has been given another chance.
“The moment his written statement comes, the committee will present its report to Parliament. Speaker has till then, given a one week extension to the committee and also has advised Mann not be present in Parliament,” Somaiya said. (PTI)
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