Assembly committee pardons Abhijit Iyer
BHUBANESWAR: The Assembly on Saturday accepted the “unconditional and unreserved” apology of Delhi-based strategic affairs writer Abhijit Iyer Mitra for his statement against the State lawmakers and dropped the breach of privilege charges against him.
“The Assembly accepted the recommendations made by the House Committee which was set up to inquire into the question of alleged breach of privilege relating to the statement made by Abhijit Iyer Mitra,” Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat said after a voice vote on the recommendations of the committee.
The committee also recommended to the House to direct the State Government to provide material to Mitra to educate him about the art, culture, history and people of Odisha.
Chairman of the Committee Narasingha Mishra, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, laid the report on the table of the House. The committee was set up on September 20 after MLAs cutting across party lines expressed concern over the remarks made by Iyer.
However, referring to the statement made by Iyer before it, the Committee observed that he met some people in the airport and visited some places of Odisha in their company where he made certain observations about the art and culture of different historical monuments of the State.
“Before accompanying a person from outside Odisha to show him the places of interest in the State, he should have been told about the rich culture of Odisha and its different monuments and their historical background by the person who gave him the lift and accompanied him,” the panel said in its report.
In his deposition before the committee, Iyer said, “I beg apology for my stupid remarks on anyone which have hurt the august House, Chief Minister and his office and said anything that have offended the people of Odisha.”
“In view of the above, the committee recommends that the august House may be magnanimous to consider and accept the apology begged by Abhijit Iyer Mitra for statement made by him before the media against the Hon’ble Members of the august House and drop the matter,” the committee said in its recommendations.
The relief for Mitra comes even as he remains in judicial custody since October 23 in connection with two FIRs lodged against him for his alleged “derogatory, mischievous and objectionable comments” in social media on art and culture of Odisha, Lord Jagannath and the Odia community as a whole.