TMC's Kalyan Banerjee smashes glass bottle, hurls it towards chairman at Waqf panel meeting

New Delhi: High drama was witnessed at the meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 on Tuesday after Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee lost his cool and smashed a glass bottle of water which led to his eventual suspension from the next meeting of the Committee.

Calling the incident “unprecedented”, chairman of the committee BJP MP Jagdambika Pal said that Banerjee then flung the broken bottle at him.

A majority vote of nine members voted on a resolution moved by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey to suspend Banerjee for a day for his alleged choice of words for panel chairman Jagdambika Pal. Eight MPs, all from the Opposition, voted against his suspension. After the incident, Banerjee was seen being escorted with his hurt hand by AAP MP Sanjay Singh and AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi.  

“I have been an MP for four terms, a member of the Vidhan Sabha for four more terms … in 40 years of Parliamentary life, where I have been chairman of committee numerous times, never have I witnessed something of this nature. People have differences, but I cannot imagine any member breaking a bottle and then throwing it at the Chairman … what if someone brings a revolver next,” Pal told reporters. 

He added that he was hurt by the proceedings.  “We have informed the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla over the phone about the matter … The proceedings had to be cancelled. The matter took place in front of witnesses, one of whom had been a former judge. What message does it send to the country,” he added. 

Sources said that the matter took place after Banerjee had an altercation with BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay over some issue after which Banerjee allegedly used some objectionable words against him. Those present said that Gangopadhyay, too, responded with some words against Banerjee, after which Banerjee broke the bottle by slamming it on the table. He then flung it at the direction of Chairman Pal. Gangopadhyay has been a former judge of the Calcutta High Court before being elected as a BJP member.  

After the incident, Banerjee was given medical aid at the Parliament Medical Centre. Sources in the Parliament said that the injury in his right hand included a 1.5-centimetre laceration on his right thumb and a cut on his little finger.

The Committee was scheduled to have representations of two Cuttack-based organisations – Justice in Reality and Panchasakha Bani Prachar Mandali – in addition to the representations of five MPs from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. The ministry of minority affairs was also scheduled to give oral representations to the Committee on Tuesday.