Aam Admi Party (AAP) MP Bhagwant Mann has issued an unconditional apology to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan for trivialising safety checks in Parliament by live-streaming the area on Facebook. The issue rocked both Houses today, with MPs urging strong action against him. Mahajan is expected to consult political parties for “appropriate action” against Mann.
“I did not know that it is against the rules,” Mann wrote in his apology letter. He added that he will not repeat his mistake in future.
Bhagwant Mann’s 12-minute video was live-streamed on Facebook. It showed the journey from his residence to the Parliament House on Thursday, including getting past security posts on the way. During the stream, he says, “I’ll today show you something you would not have seen earlier.” He is drawing flak as this compromises the security and safety of Parliamentarians—the Indian Parliament has already been attacked by Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists once, in 2001; 13 people died.
Mahajan told reporters outside Parliament that the incident transcends ethics or privilege as it concerns the safety of elected representatives. “A committee will be formed, an apology is not enough, since all party members are upset,” she said.
Separately, Mann has been accused of being inebriated at Parliament. While he has denied these allegations, Mahajan said she will look in to the claims.
