National desk
22 October
Sandeep Dhand Ludhiana
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee has been suspended from the parliamentary committee for a day after he allegedly broke a glass water bottle and threw it at the chair during a meeting regarding the Waqf Amendment Bill. The incident occurred when Banerjee was involved in a heated argument with BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay, a former Calcutta High Court judge.
During the confrontation, both MPs exchanged insults in Bengali, escalating the situation. BJP MP and committee chairperson Jagdambika Pal condemned Banerjee’s actions, describing them as “extraordinary” and crossing all acceptable boundaries. He questioned whether such behavior could lead to more extreme actions in the future, jokingly asking if someone might come armed with a revolver. Pal noted that Banerjee injured his fingers in the process, requiring stitches at the parliamentary medical dispensary.
The committee members attempted to mediate the situation, but tensions remained high. Following the incident, BJP member Nishikant Dube submitted a resolution to suspend Banerjee, which was passed by a vote of 10-8.
After the incident, Banerjee expressed regret and claimed he had no intention of targeting Pal with the thrown bottle. However, he also accused Pal of having a biased attitude during the proceedings. The event highlights the growing tensions between TMC and BJP members in the parliament, especially over contentious issues like the Waqf Amendment Bill. The suspension serves as a reminder of the decorum expected in parliamentary proceedings and the consequences of failing to maintain it.