TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee was suspended for a day from the Joint Parliamentary Committee after a heated altercation with BJP’s Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, during which Banerjee smashed a glass bottle, injuring himself. The clash underscores rising tensions between the two political figures over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill discussions.
New Delhi: Senior Advocate and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kalyan Banerjee was suspended for a day on Tuesday from the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill after an altercation with BJP leader and former Calcutta High Court judge, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay. The incident escalated when Banerjee, during a heated exchange, smashed a glass bottle, inadvertently injuring himself.
According to reports by NDTV, Banerjee hurt his thumb and index finger during the incident, which required immediate medical attention at the Parliament complex.
The altercation occurred while two Odisha-based organizations were presenting, and opposition MPs, including Banerjee, questioned the relevance of the presentation. As tensions escalated, Banerjee began speaking out of turn, determined to make his point while Justice Gangopadhyay was addressing the committee.
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However, the BJP leader was equally adamant about not yielding the floor to Banerjee. “According to eyewitnesses to the incident, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee picked up a glass water bottle kept there and hit it on the table and hurt himself by accident,” tweeted ANI.
The chaos led to Banerjee’s suspension for the day from the proceedings of the JPC, temporarily halting his participation.
Kalyan Banerjee, an MP from Serampore in West Bengal, first entered the political scene by winning an Assembly election in 2001 from Asansol Uttar. Despite losing in 2006, Banerjee transitioned to Parliament in 2009, and his political career has since flourished. He is now serving his fourth term as MP from Serampore and remains a pivotal figure in the All India Trinamool Congress.
Aside from his political career, Banerjee is also a Senior Advocate who practices in both the Supreme Court of India and the Calcutta High Court.
Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, now a BJP MP from Tamluk constituency in West Bengal, resigned as a judge in March this year before joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and contesting the Lok Sabha elections.
As a judge, Gangopadhyay was known for his vocal criticism of the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government. His tenure on the bench was marked by several controversial statements and orders, leading to his rising prominence within political circles.
One of his notable accusations was against Justice Soumen Sen of the Calcutta High Court, whom he alleged was acting in favor of a political party in West Bengal. This controversy reached such heights that the Supreme Court had to intervene and transfer all proceedings to itself in certain cases presided over by Justice Gangopadhyay.
The altercation between Banerjee and Gangopadhyay underscores the growing tensions between the BJP and TMC as both parties continue to clash on key issues. Banerjee, known for his strong opposition to the BJP, and Gangopadhyay, who has recently aligned himself with the party, are symbolic of the larger battle between the two political entities.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill and the discussions surrounding it have now become yet another flashpoint for these confrontations. The BJP and TMC have been locked in a fierce rivalry, especially in West Bengal, where the political stakes remain high ahead of future elections.
Banerjee’s suspension for the day highlights the rising tempers in parliamentary proceedings, where debate over the bill took an unexpected turn due to personal clashes.
As both leaders navigate their roles in their respective parties, this incident will likely fuel further political discourse. The question remains: How will these personal and political battles shape the broader landscape of Indian politics?
In the meantime, Banerjee is expected to recover from his injuries and return to his duties, while Justice Gangopadhyay’s trajectory in politics continues to unfold following his transition from the judiciary to a political career with the BJP.
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