NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee was suspended for a day following a dramatic altercation during a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill on Tuesday. Banerjee smashed a glass bottle and hurled it towards the committee’s chairperson, BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, injuring himself in the process. Pal condemned the outburst, describing it as “unprecedented” and a direct threat to parliamentary decorum.
The scuffle erupted during a heated discussion on the controversial Bill, with BJP leaders sharply criticising Banerjee’s conduct.BJP national spokesperson Amit Malviya said, “TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee smashing a glass bottle and targeting BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay and later flinging the glass shreds, with the aim to hit JPC Chairperson Jagdambika Pal, is a criminal act.”
Malviya referenced a Supreme Court ruling to back his statement. “The Supreme Court, in the Sita Soren vs Union of India judgment of March 2024, has settled the issue of legislative immunity and prosecution. It doesn’t extend to criminal acts. Kalyan Banerjee’s membership of Lok Sabha should be terminated. Parliament and its legislative committees aren’t a place for delinquent criminals,” he added.
Amid the fallout, AAP MP Sanjay Singh expressed dismay over the public disclosure of the internal proceedings of the JPC. Singh said, “It is very unfortunate that a statement is given in the media about the conversation and discussion that took place inside the JPC meeting… According to parliamentary rules, no one can give a statement about the discussions that take place inside the JPC… Yesterday all the opposition members discussed among themselves and decided that giving a statement outside is completely wrong.”
Banerjee’s outburst occurred after an exchange of expletives with BJP MP and former Calcutta high court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay. Both MPs clashed in Bengali, with Pal and other members attempting to defuse the situation.
However, tensions escalated when Banerjee smashed a glass bottle and flung it towards the chairperson, injuring his hand in the process.
Following the incident, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey moved a motion to suspend Banerjee for one day, which was passed by a 10-8 vote along party lines. Sources later revealed that Banerjee expressed regret, claiming he did not intend to hit Pal, but he continued to accuse the chair of biased behaviour. Pal, however, denied these allegations, stating he had allowed everyone to speak during the meeting.
Pal also informed Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla about the incident and said, “It was in a way a criminal act that could have badly hurt me. His conduct is a blow to parliamentary democracy.” Gangopadhyay, visibly upset, criticised the one-day suspension as insufficient and expressed disappointment that the verbal abuse against him was not addressed.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which aims to introduce sweeping changes to the governance of Waqf boards, including representation for Muslim women and non-Muslims, has been a flashpoint between opposition and ruling party members. Tensions have risen during committee meetings, with opposition members accusing the chair of inviting organisations with no stake in Waqf issues, while BJP members have accused rivals of deliberately disrupting proceedings.