A notice would be served to New Delhi-based journalist Abhijit Iyer Mitra for appearance before the House Committee on October 11 over his derogatory remarks on Odisha MLAs, informed Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra here on Friday.
Mitra would be asked to depose before the panel at 11 am on October 11 in connection with the breach of legislators’ privilege allegations levelled against him.
“The House Committee today called the DGP, Director of Intelligence and media channels and recorded their statements. The reports published in newspapers and people having heard and watched on media channels are apparently true,” said Mishra, who heads the panel.
“The panel will probe as to whether the criticism is breach of privilege of the House or the legislatures. Therefore, the committee has decided to serve a notice to Abhijit IyerMitrA to appear before it at Room Number 54 of the Legislative Assembly on October 11,” he said.
Notably, Speaker Niranjan Pujari on September 18 had formed the House Committee over derogatory remarks by Mitra on the Konark Sun Temple, legislators, Odisha culture and Lord Jagannath.
The committee led by Narasingha Mishra includes BJD MLAs Debi Prasad Mishra, Pramila Mallick, Arun Sahoo and Sanjay Dasburma and BJP Legislature Party leader KV Singh Deo as its members.
The panel would submit its report in the House on the first day of next Assembly session.
Mitra, a friend of former Kendrapada MP Baijayant Panda, had made disparaging comments on the Sun Temple and Odisha culture in a series of posts on his Twitter handle during and following his tour of Odisha with Panda by the latter’s helicopter. It drew sharp criticism from people and politicians cutting across the party lines.
The Assembly also witnessed uproar by the members of both ruling and opposition parties over the issue, following which the Speaker approved a proposal on forming the House panel for an inquiry into it.