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'Escaped by God's grace': JPC chief Jagdambika Pal remembers Kalyan Banerjee's 'fury'
Jagdambika Banerjee broke a glass bottle after an altercation with BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay and hurt his hand.
Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) chairman Jagdambika Pal on Wednesday alleged that TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee threw broken glass at him with “anger and fury” and that he narrowly escaped the alleged assault.
"Yesterday during the Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee broke a glass bottle and threw it with such anger and fury and the way he threw it at me, it is God's grace that I narrowly escaped," he told ANI today.
The alleged incident took place during the JPC's meeting on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.
ANI reported yesterday that Banerjee broke a glass bottle after an altercation with BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay and hurt his hand. He later threw the glass pieces at Pal.
The scuffle took place after the BJP MP objected to Banerjee interrupting other members.
Jagdambika Pal today said that Kalyan Banerjee was allowed to speak the most during the meeting on the vexed topic.
Also read: TMC's Kalyan Banerjee suspended for a day over ‘unruly conduct’ at JPC Waqf meeting
Banerjee was later barred from attending the next meeting.
"I have informed the Speaker about the entire incident but this is a serious attack on the parliamentary system...Kalyan Banerjee was allowed to speak the most...I will resign if someone is accusing me of not giving enough time to speak in the JPC...We have passed a resolution and expelled Kalyan Banerjee from the next meeting of the JPC," he added.
Also read: JPC chairman Jagdambika Pal reacts to Kalyan Banerjee's outburst: ‘Can’t imagine…'
Opposition attacks Jagdambika Pal
Opposition leaders on Wednesday hit out at Jagdambika Pal over the incident, accusing him of violating the rules of procedure by going public with the incident.
Pal rejected the allegations levelled by DMK member A Raja and AAP member Sanjay Singh, asserting that he had not made public proceedings of the committee but spoke about an incident of violence.
"I have not revealed any proceedings or deliberations of the Committee. I have only made a statement about an incident of violence during the committee meeting by a member and his subsequent suspension," Pal told PTI.
"I have always adhered to rules of parliamentary procedure and upheld the dignity of the House," the BJP MP added.
