Video case: Defiant Mann says LS probe panel biased
Saturday, 06/08/2016
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NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Bhagwant Mann has refused to change his statement submitted to the Lok Sabha panel investigating a Parliament video put out by him for alleged security breach. “I will not change my statement. I will change the date on it and return it if they ask for another statement,” Mann told HT over the phone from Chandigarh on Thursday night, accusing the panel of bias.
The Lok Sabha member from Sangrur has been advised by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to stay away from the House till the completion of the probe. He had in July live-streamed one of his visits to Parliament and also posted the video on Facebook on July 21, saying he was exposing chinks in the security setup. His action was condemned by fellow MPs, who accused him of compromising Parliament’s security and a probe was ordered.
In his statement to the panel, he sought to turn the tables on the ruling NDA, demanding that it summon Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mann accused Modi of compromising the country’s security by allowing members of Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence to visit the Pathankot airbase, which was attacked by terrorists on January 2. The MP will have to stay away from Parliament for another two weeks after the Speaker on August 3 extended the deadline given to the ninemember panel to complete the probe.
