TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee Gets Angry In PAC Meeting On Waqf Bill, Breaks Glass Bottle; Suspended

During a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting on the Waq Bill on Tuesday, Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee and former Calcutta High Court judge and BJP leader Abhijit Ganguly had a heated argument. According to the reports, Kalyan Banerjee was so angry that he smashed a glass water bottle on his table. In the act of anger, TMC MP hurt himself and received a minor cut on his thumb and index finger.

He was then immediately taken away for medical attention. He received four stitches.

Reports said, in the heat of the moment, Banerjee not only broke the bottle but also attempted to hurl it towards the chairman's desk. This act of aggression prompted immediate medical intervention and later had repercussions in the form of disciplinary action.

Banerjee faced suspension for one day and two sittings by the Lok Sabha under rules 261 and 374(1)(2) due to his derogatory remarks against Committee Chairman Jagdambika Pal and for his aggressive action of throwing the broken bottle at the Speaker.

The decision came after a vote initiated by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, where the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led the count with nine votes to the opposition's eight, favoring Banerjee's suspension.

The incident did not go unnoticed, as a video circulated by news agency PTI captured the moment when Banerjee was escorted back into the meeting room by All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh.

In a gesture of care, officials offered Banerjee soup during his recovery, a moment that highlighted the aftermath of the confrontation.

The confrontation took place in a charged atmosphere as the committee, headed by BJP's Jagdambika Pal, was considering the inputs of retired judges and lawyers on the Waqf Bill.