Extension to probe panel:BJP doing vendetta politics, says AAP

New Delhi, Aug 20 (PTI) Alleging a witch-hunt againstBhagwant Mann after a Lok Sabha panel probing his ParliamentHouse videography was given an extension, AAP today said BJPwas doing "vendetta politics." "What has Bhagwant Mann done for which the Committee hasbeen seeking extension repeatedly? This is a conspiracy by theBJP. The vendetta politics is resulting in Mann not being ableto raise the issues of his state in Lok Sabha for the lastthree weeks. This is nothing but a witch-hunt," AAP leaderAshish Khetan alleged. Khetan said Mann wanted to raise the issues of grainprocurement, farmers suicide and drug abuse in Punjab. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has given extension tothe Committee on Conduct of Bhagwant Mann till the end of thefirst week of next (Winter) session, the panel’s ChairmanKirit Somaiya said. In view of seriousness of the matter, the AAP MP fromSangrur has been asked by the Speaker not to attend thesittings of the House until a decision has been taken. Khetan asked what action was taken by the BJP against thethen Rajya Sabha VP Singh Badnore, who is now the PunjabGovernor, when he allegedly tried to enter Parliament using a"forged" sticker on his car. "Badnore had then claimed that he wanted to do a sting,but the Ethics Committee found his claim to be untrue. He didthe same thing which the terrorist did while carrying out theattack on Parliament," he alleged. A defiant Mann had maintained that he did no wrong andhis intention was to make people aware of the parliamentaryprocedures. In his response to the committee, Mann had also demandedthat Prime Minister Narendra Modi be also summoned before thepanel for "inviting" ISI to Pathankot air base, referring tothe Joint Investigation Team of Pakistan that visited India toprobe the attack. "Why does the BJP not want Mann to raise the issue of ISIand PM in his response. This is a classic example of how theBJP is using every means to suppress opposition," Khetan said.PTI PR RCJ RTRCJ