Mann in the dock

It is usually the opposition MPs who disrupt Parliament. On Friday, however, the roles were reversed. MPs belonging to the ruling BJP and its coalition partner, Shiromani Akali Dal, led the noisy protests for action against Aam Aadmi Party MP Bhagwant Mann for compromising the security of Parliament by filming his entry into it and making the video public. They had the option to speak on the issue in an orderly way but instead they chose to perform for the TV cameras, reducing Parliament to the level of a Khap Panchayat. Other than the concern over security there was a political reason behind the clamour for action. In Punjab both parties are pitted against AAP and here was an opportunity to fix one of its key leaders.

Among the vociferous protesters was Union minister Harsimrat Badal. She has accused two Congress members — Jairam Ramesh and Renuka Chowdhury — of misbehaviour and threatened to move a privilege motion against them. The two Congress MPs reportedly stopped her from disrupting the proceedings of Rajya Sabha, which was scheduled to take up a private member’s Bill for the grant of special category status to Andhra Pradesh. The BJP was caught in a difficult situation since the Bill’s approval meant an additional financial burden on the Centre and its rejection would embarrass its ruling ally, TDP, in Andhra. The adjournment of the House came to the government’s rescue. Why Harsimrat Badal chose to leave the Lok Sabha of which she is a member and move to the Upper House to voice her concern over Parliament’s security remains unexplained.  

The Lok Sabha Speaker, Sumitra Mahajan, could have shortened this drama of absurd by announcing some plan of action to discipline Bhagwant Mann or accepting his “unconditional apology”. Another MP from Punjab, Harinder Singh Khalsa, has added his bit to the drama by complaining in writing that Mann smells of alcohol in the House. The BJP has its majority in the Lok Sabha. Should it take so much time for the Speaker and Parliament to discipline one member? Obviously, the Mann issue was overblown for causing political damage to AAP.