Kamal Haasan, Prasoon Joshi appear before parliamentary panel

Both Haasan and Joshi were called by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology chaired by Shashi Tharoor

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan and Censor Board chairman Prasoon Joshi appeared before a parliamentary panel reviewing the functioning of the board on Tuesday.

Both Haasan and Joshi were called by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology chaired by senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor.

The agenda of the meeting was to review the functioning of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in the context of the Draft Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

BJP members of the panel staged a walkout before the start of the meeting, claiming that they were not informed of the agenda. They also contended that when the House is not functioning due to disruptions by opposition members, how could parliamentary committees conduct their businesses.

Panel members belonging to opposition parties, however, claimed that a notification was issued about the meeting and that the members were informed in advance.

They also said as many as five meetings of various standing committees, including those chaired by BJP MPs, were scheduled for Tuesday.