LS Speaker advises Mann not to attend House till security issue resolved

 issue resolved

New Delhi/Chandigarh, Jul 25 (PTI) AAP MP Bhagwant Mann, whose videography of Parliament House complex kicked up a row, was today "advised" not to attend Lok Sabha by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan till a decision is taken on the alleged security breach which will be probed by a nine-member House panel.

Mann on his part accused BJP, Congress and Akali Dal of joining hands to "suppress his voice" in view of the Punjab Assembly polls due in 2017.

The panel set up by the Speaker has been asked to submit its report by August 3, while Mann has time till tomorrow morning to submit his explanation to the committee.

It is chaired by BJP member Kirit Somaiya,

"The act of the member of audio-visual recording of the Parliament and posting it on the social media puts the security of Parliament in peril," the Speaker said, adding that several members had expressed concern over the issue on Friday last.

The member is "advised not to attend the sittings of the House" until a decision is taken in the matter, Mahajan said.

Mann was not present in the House.

As soon as the House assembled, she informed it about the action being taken on the issue which had led to the adjournment of Lok Sabha proceedings on July 22.

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

Last week, 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 out.

Apart from chairperson Somaiya, the panel has two other BJP members -- Meenakshi Lekhi and Satyapal Singh. Others are Anandrao Adsul (Shiv Sena), B Mahtab (BJD), Ratna De (TMC), Thota Narasimham (TDP), K C Venugopal (Cong) and P Venugopal (AIADMK).

The panel has no member from Shiromani Akali Dal. Mann represents Sangrur in Punjab.

The panel would look into the serious security implications and related aspects "germane to and arising out of the conduct of audio-visual recording around Parliament House by Mann on July 21, 2016 and subsequent uploading of the said audio-visual recording by him on social media".

Mann claimed he has been "barred" from raising issues of public by being not allowed to attend the House proceedings.

He said the "grand alliance" of BJP, Congress and Akalis has hatched a "conspiracy against me as I am very active in the House and raise issue of the public".

"It has happened in the wake of Punjab polls," he told reporters in Chandigarh.

"With this decision, it means that I cannot raise issues of public till August 3. They could have told me to appear before the committee and allowed me to attend the House to raise issues of the public. Attending the Session in Parliament is my right. They have encroached upon the rights of lakhs of people," he said.