Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee suffered a hand injury after smashing a glass water bottle during a contentious Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting on the Waqf Bill. The incident occurred amidst a heated exchange with BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay. Following the disruption, JPC Chairman Jagdambika Pal decided to suspend Banerjee from the next meeting, a decision that was ratified by a vote of nine to seven.
Tensions peaked when Banerjee attempted to raise a point out of turn, sparking objections from Gangopadhyay. The confrontation escalated, culminating in Banerjee’s use of unparliamentary language, sources disclosed. His injury required four stitches, and he was later escorted back to the meeting room by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and AAP leader Sanjay Singh.
The session, held at the Parliament Annexe, was interrupted due to the fracas. The JPC, under the chairmanship of BJP’s Jagdambika Pal, was consulting a panel of retired judges and lawyers when opposition members challenged their relevance to the proceedings. The meeting’s turbulence is not isolated, as similar conflicts have marked committee sessions, with previous clashes between Banerjee and BJP MPs like Nishikant Dubey, Dilip Saikia, and Gangopadhyay.
Opposition members have expressed dissatisfaction, accusing Chairman Pal of biased conduct and inaction against BJP MPs’ alleged offensive language. Contrastingly, BJP leader Tejasvi Surya appealed to the Lok Sabha Speaker, accusing some opposition members of threatening the JPC chairman and damaging documents.
The tumult arises amidst debates over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, introduced by the government on July 28 and subsequently referred to the JPC on August 8, following opposition backlash. The bill seeks to limit Waqf boards’ power to designate properties or areas as “waqf property.” The incident underscores the charged atmosphere surrounding the proposed legislative changes.
Original Story https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/waqf-bill-panel-meet-scuffle-trinamool-mp-kalyan-banerjee-injures-himself-2621118-2024-10-22
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