TMC's Kalyan Banerjee claims he was heckled by BJP MP during JPC meeting causing outburst

New Delhi [India], October 29 : Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee, who has was at the centre of some uprorious scenes at a joint parliamentary committee meet on the Waqf Bill last week, has now has broken his silence claiming that he was provoked by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay and verbal abuses were hurled at his family.
Banerjee also said that he never intended to throw the broken glass bottle at the Chair.
TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said, "I have great respect for rules and regulations. Unfortunately, Abhijit Gangopadhyay had made some allegations against me before the press in violation of the rules. On that day, first, there was a hot exchange of words between Naseer and Abhijit Gangopadhyay."
Banerjee alleged that the Chair was harsh on him but soft on Gangopadhyay. "At the time, I said why was he (Abhijit Gangopadhyay) shouting. Then he started abusing me, my mother, my father and my wife...At the time the Chairman (of JPC) was not there. After the Chairman came, he was harsh towards me but soft towards him. This brought frustration in me. Then, I smashed the (glass) bottle on the table. I never had the intention to throw the bottle at the Chairman."
He also questioned Joint parliamentary committee (JPC) chairman BJP MP Jagdambika Pal's authority to suspend him. "The Chairman has no power to suspend the member, only the Speaker does. Abhijit Gangopadhyay was the rotten advocate of the Calcutta High Court..."
Meanwhile,opposition MPs on Monday staged a walkout from the the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 meeting chaired by joint parliamentary committee (JPC) chairman BJP MP Jagdambika Pal at the Parliament Annexe alleging biased proceedings.
The opposition MPs alleged that the commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Waqf board CEO, Ashwini Kumar, completely altered the initial report of the Waqf Board and further alleged that the Chief Minister's approval in the matter was not sought.