On Monday, Lok Sabha MP and chairperson of JPC on Waqf Bill, Jagdambika Pal, had a memorable day when members of the parliamentary panel, headed by him, joined his birthday celebrations.
Pal held the knife along with TMC, Kalyan Banerjee, to cut the cake and the latter fed him. He even told the gathered media persons to show this picture as it would get them better TRPs. It was a picture of a bonhomie. Pal has shared the video on his social media, X.
Within 24 hours, the situation turned. Pal suspended Banerjee from the proceedings of the JPC for a day for his alleged unruly behaviour.
During the JPC meeting on Tuesday, Banerjee, reportedly, got into an argument with BJP MP, Abhijeet Ganguly, former High Court Judge, from Bengal. Then Banerjee broke a glass bottle and allegedly threw it towards the chairperson. In the process, TMC MP injured his hand. He was administered first aid, while the meeting was stopped.
“In the last 40 years of my parliamentary life...I sit during the day to listen to members. I give them time and no one can say I don’t allow adequate time,” Pal later told reporters. He said TMC should think about the behaviour of its MP and not accuse me.
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The TMC MP had accused Pal of not giving them adequate time to speak. Pal said he would resign if the panel didn’t have trust in him. He even brought the incident to the notice of Lok Sabha speaker, Om Birla.
BJP MP moved a motion to take action against Banerjee after which he was suspended for a day by 9-7 votes.
JPC is holding regular meetings to listen to representations by various stakeholders. On Tuesday, it was the turn of two Odisha organisations: Justice in Reality and Panchsakha bani Parchar Mandali and IUML members.
The JPC intends to finish the work before the next session of the parliament due in November. If the report is submitted by then, the government can bring in a fresh bill for passing in the House. However, given the fireworks witnessed during the JPC meetings, the bill’s passage would be a challenge in both Houses.