Mann affair casts shadow on Bill business

AAP member Bhagwant Mann on Friday tendered an unconditional apology he put up a video recording of Parliament's security arrangements on Facebook

The adjournments in the Rajya Sabha on Friday over Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Lok Sabha member Bhagwant Mann posting a live video of Parliament security could cast a shadow on the government’s efforts to build a consensus with the Congress party on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) constitutional amendment Bill.

While Lok Sabha proceedings were totally washed out after ruling alliance members protested Mann’s action, the Rajya Sabha also couldn’t transact any business. In the Rajya Sabha, a Congress member had planned to move a private members’ Bill to grant Andhra Pradesh special status. The Congress had even issued whip to its members, directing them to be present in the House. The Congress is the single largest party in the Upper House.

But repeated adjournments meant that the House couldn’t take up the private members’ Bill. Shiromani Akali Dal members, led by Naresh Gujral as well Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, demanded action against the AAP MP. The members, supported by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members, ensured that the chair had to adjourn the House.

A Congress leader said that the party resents the use of Akali MPs to disrupt the proceedings during the discussion on the private members’ Bill, which would have otherwise gone through. “It hasn’t left a good taste in the mouth and we, in the Congress, believe we cannot work with the government,” a Congress leader said. The leader added that the happenings have cast a shadow on whether GST can be passed.

However, government sources disputed that the Andhra Pradesh private members’ Bill would have passed the muster to be discussed as it was clearly a Money Bill. Sources said the rules clearly define that if a dispute on whether a Bill is a Money Bill or not needs to be referred by the Rajya Sabha chair to the Lok Sabha Speaker, and her decision is final.

However, the Congress position is also an effort to force the government to show more accommodation on the Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) Bill, that the Rajya Sabha is scheduled to take up on Monday. Earlier this week, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had met Congress’ Jairam Ramesh, Shantaram Naik and Digvijaya Singh to chalk out a possible compromise on the CAMPA Bill.

AAP member Mann on Friday tendered an unconditional apology after the issue of him having put up a video recording of Parliament’s security arrangements on social networking site Facebook rocked both Houses of Parliament on Friday.

The issue washed out the proceedings of both Houses. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan summoned Mann and obtained his “unconditional apology”. She termed it a “serious issue”. She also said disciplinary action would be taken against the MP from Punjab’s Sangrur.

The AAP defended its MP, who is currently in charge of the Punjab Assembly polls. It accused the BJP of trying to deflect the issue of attacks on Dalits in Gujarat.  Mann shared a 12-minute video live on Facebook with running commentary on Parliament’s security procedures. It showed Mann’s vehicle crossing security barricades and him entering Parliament on Thursday.

Mann then enters a room where questions to be taken up inside Parliament are being sorted and describes the process.  

In his apology to the Speaker, Mann said his intent was not to “dishonour” the temple of democracy. Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has threatened to move a privilege motion whom she accused of insulting her when she was trying to raise the issue of Mann’s security breach.