Trinamool Congress MP broke a glass bottle and hurled it towards the Chairperson

• Chaos during the meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf Reform Bill.

• MP Kalyan Banerjee suspended from Parliamentary Committee

New Delhi – All India Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee was suspended for one day and two meetings of the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, just hours after he reportedly broke a glass water bottle during their meeting and hurt himself in the process following an argument with BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay.

🚨Chaos at the Joint Parliamentary Committee Meeting on the Waqf Amendment Bill

📌TMC MP smashes a glass bottle and hurls it towards the Chairman

📌The accused MP Kalyan Banerjee has been expelled from the Parliamentary Committee

👉 MPs who behave like thugs should be… pic.twitter.com/YeA95rgluF

— Sanatan Prabhat (@SanatanPrabhat) October 22, 2024

He was suspended after BJP Lok Sabha MP Nishikant Dubey moved a motion that was backed by nine members, while eight others dissented. The order to suspend Banerjee was given by JPC chairperson and BJP Lok Sabha MP Jagdambika Pal.

Banerjee had requested to intervene as these two organisations were making their presentations. Chairperson Pal refused the request as Banerjee had already spoken during the meeting. The TMC MP persisted with his request.

Gangopadhyay objected to Banerjee’s repeated demands to speak, leading to a furious argument between the two. In the heat of the moment, Banerjee broke a glass bottle.

This is where conflicting versions have emerged. Banerjee said he cut his hand while trying to throw the broken glass bottle, while Dubey in his statement claimed that he threw the glass bottle towards the chairperson.

AIMIM Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh were seen accompanying Banerjee out of the meeting room, with the TMC MP’s right thumb and little finger heavily bandaged. Proceedings of the meeting resumed soon after he got medical attention.

Why argument took place ?

The members of the opposition parties raised the question that why is the general public being called in the meeting and their vote is being taken on this bill ? On this, a BJP member said, ‘The chairman of the committee has the right to call whomever he thinks fit and ask for suggestions on the bill.’ This angered many including Kalyan Banerjee and then Banerjee acted as above.

Editorial Perspectives

• Action should be taken against such MPs who behave like goons. Charges should be filed against them, imprison them, and revoke their parliamentary status. Don’t the opposition parties realise the dignity of Parliament ?
• This highlights how representatives must be behaving with the common people, especially when they behave like this with the members of the Joint Parliamentary Committee.