On Tuesday a meeting of the Joint Committee on Waqf Bill took a dramatic turn when TMC member Kalyan Banerjee smashed a glass water bottle and threw it away during a heated exchange of words with BJP ‘s Abhijit Gangopadhyay. In the process, Banerjee hurt his thumb and index finger and had to be given first aid. Later, he was seen being escorted back to the meeting room by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and AAP leader Sanjay Singh .
The TMC member was also offered soup by the officials. The committee, chaired by BJP’s Jagdambika Pal, was listening to the views of a group of retired judges and lawyers when the opposition members questioned what was their stake in the bill. The scuffle broke out when the presentation on Odhisa was underway, with retired judges, senior advocates, and intellectuals in attendance.
According to the media reports, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee, who had already spoken various times, attempted to raise an issue out of turn, prompting objections from BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay. After Gangopadhyay objected, Banerjee used unparliamentary language. Both MPs then exchanged further unparliamentary remarks. During the argument, Banerjee slammed a glass bottle on the table, injuring himself.
The Joint Committee of Parliament on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was held at the Parliament Annexe building in the national capital. Chaired by BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, the committee aims to reform the Waqf Act to ensure that waqf properties are used for the benefit of the community. In today’s meeting, the committee was hearing views and suggestions from representatives of Justice in Reality and Panchasakha Prachar, both based in Cuttack, Odisha .
A delegation of five MPs from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) will also present their perspectives on the bill. The committee met on Monday, inviting officials from the Ministry of Minority Affairs to provide oral evidence regarding the bill. This meeting is part of a larger national initiative to address long-standing issues related to the management of waqf properties.
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