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‘Abusive language, broken glass’: What happened at JPC meet on Waqf Bill
A heated exchange was reported between TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee and BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay.
Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee was suspended from the parliamentary committee on Waqf Bill for a day over his “unruly conduct.”
A heated exchange was reported between Banerjee and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay during the joint parliamentary committee on the Waqf Bill.
The meeting took a dramatic turn after Banerjee smashed a glass water bottle. In the process, he hurt his thumb and index finger and had to be given first aid.
Videos on social media showed he was escorted back to the meeting room by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and AAP leader Sanjay Singh.
What happened during the meeting?
The incident took place on Tuesday when the JPC was hearing depositions from Cuttack-based Justice in Reality, and Panchasakha Bani Prachar Mandali earlier.
According to a person aware of the matter, Banerjee had requested to intervene as these two organisations were making their presentations.
However, his request was denied by the JPC chairperson and BJP Lok Sabha MP Jagdambika Pal.
The TMC MP, however, insisted that he be allowed to speak.
This was objected to by Gangopadhyay, who questioned Banerjee’s repeated demands to speak, leading to an argument. In the heat of the moment, Banerjee is reported to have smashed a glass.
Sources quoted by ANI said both Gangopadhyay and Banerjee also used abusive language against each other.
Conflicting versions have emerged on what happened next in the meeting. While Banerjee claimed that he cut his hand while trying to throw away the broken glass, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has alleged that he threw the glass towards the chairperson.
Due to the incident, the meeting was adjourned for some time, and Banerjee was taken away for medical aid.
Later, Dubey tabled a proposal to suspend TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee for unruly conduct. Nine members voted in favour of the proposal, while eight were in opposition.
A senior BJP leader said that Banerjee has had a history of acting out in meetings, and that soon after the incident, the BJP members in the committee were already planning on moving motions against him.
Some BJP MPs, including Gangopadhyay, wanted Banerjee to remain suspended for the remainder of the JPC, HT has learnt.
Meanwhile, TMC leader Jay Prakash Majumdar told ANI that what exactly happened during the meeting is unclear.
“We are not aware of what exactly occurred or happened. However, it is a very sad incident and it should not have happened. Most importantly, we must point out that the person involved in this incident BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay is notoriously known as a person with huge nuisance value,” Majumdar told ANI.
“Kalyan Banerjee is a proven parliamentarian for 4 terms. He is a veteran parliamentarian and Abhijit Gangopadhyay is a new entity in the parliament...” he added.
