New Delhi:

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday said that TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee has submitted a written apology for his remarks against Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia besides apologising in the House.

As soon as the House met, some members belonging to the ruling alliance stood up to raise the issue of the remarks made by Banerjee.

However, Birla intervened and said whatever happened on Wednesday was unfortunate and no member should make any personal remark against any fellow member.

Without taking the name of Banerjee, he said any remark against women is in bad taste and it hurts their dignity and honour.

The speaker said agreements and disagreements are part of the democratic process but no member should make any personal remark against anyone.

“The member concerned had apologised (in the House). He has also given me in writing too,” he said and started with the day’s proceedings.

On Wednesday, there were verbal clashes when Banerjee was speaking in the House during a discussion on the amendments to the Disaster Management Act.

The TMC member had alleged non-cooperation by the central government during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai countered it, saying it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who helped all the states and successfully handled the crisis by taking everyone along.

Rai also alleged that the West Bengal government tried to put hurdles in the transportation of the Covid vaccines through the state.

Scindia stood up to support Rai, saying that India had emerged as a “Vishwa Bandhu” during the pandemic and helped all the needy countries across the world.

Following this, Banerjee attacked Scindia and made certain remarks against the minister which were expunged by the Speaker after an uproar.

The verbal spat between the treasury and opposition benches led to adjournment.

When the House reconvened, Banerjee apologised for his remarks, but Scindia refused to accept it, saying the opposition members should desist from making personal attacks.

“Mr Kalyan Banerjee rose in this House and said sorry. But I will say that we all come to this House with the spirit of contributing to the nation’s development… but we also come with a sense of self-respect.

“Any individual in their lives will not stand compromising with their self-respect. Attack us on our policies, on our views, but if you will get personal, certainly be prepared for the response,” the Union minister said.

“He has apologised… I do not accept his apology for the personal attack that he had made on me and on the women of India,” he said.

Banerjee apologised again but protests from treasury benches continued leading to two more adjournments of the House. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Flush with the party’s victory across six Assembly seats in the just concluded byelections and citing the Congress’ poor electoral run, most recently in Maharashtra, Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee told NDTV that Mamata Banerjee should be accepted as leader of the Opposition INDIA bloc.

“For last three or four years what have they done? In the INDIA alliance, who is the leader? Nobody has been chosen as a leader, as a face of the opposition. Now it has to be done. The Congress has failed that is established. Congress leaders tried in Haryana, they failed. Maharashtra, they have failed. It is not that only Congress has lost, it is that we all, in INDIA alliance, who have lost. We reposed our faith in Congress but it could not achieve the result. Try to understand our point,” Kalyan Banerjee, who is Trinamool’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha, told NDTV.

The Congress won just 16 seats in Maharashtra against the BJP’s 132, adding another chapter to its anthology of losses in recent times. Its senior leader Prithviraj Chavan, a former Chief Minister, and Balasaheb Thorat lost in Karad South and Sangamner seats, respectively. In October, the party was bested by the BJP in Haryana, a state it was widely tipped to sweep.

“We were also expecting that Congress will do better in Haryana. Congress will do better in Maharashtra. Sharad Pawar will do better in Maharashtra. So that non-BJP government is formed but they have destroyed our dreams. That has to be accepted. Now, you have to take ground reality,” Mr Banerjee said.

Underscoring Mamata Banerjee’s fighting spirit and her wide experience both at the Centre and state level, the Trinamool leader made a case for her as INDIA bloc leader.

“You see byelections happened. Everyone has critcised Mamata Banerjee but we won six out of six seats in Bengal. We have won by a margin of 1 lakh. People have reposed confidence in Mamata Banerjee. People of Bengal. People all over India also prefer Mamata Banerjee. People of country love Mamata Banerjee. Why? Because of her fighting character. She has been an MP, a Railway Minister. She has all sorts of qualities, better experience and qualities than whoever is the leader of Opposition,” said Mr Banerjee.

“It is not a question of ego. It is nothing. It is for leaders of all political Opposition parties to rethink over the matter. Unity of opposition has to be made by making a leader. If you don’t make a leader, how can there be unity. Someone has to drive the car,” he emphasized.

Stressing that there’s no divide in Opposition, he however advised the Congress to take everyone along.

“There’s no divide in Opposition but you have to take all together. In Maharashtra, did Congress call us? In Haryana, did Congress call us. Why? What’s the reason? Our object is to fight against BJP, against Narendra Modi. Must retrospect. Must See. Those who were responsible in Haryana, Maharashtra must retrospect. They are not in a position to attract people,” said Mr Banerjee.

Kolkata:

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee on Thursday said Donald Trump’s election as US president has proved that age is not a factor if someone has popular support, amid the debate in his party over a call for fixing a retirement age for leaders.

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year, TMC’s General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee had called for implementing a retirement age in politics, citing a decline in work efficiency and productivity.

“In politics, age is not the factor. If one is capable of working for the people of the country and capable of discharging all functions, if he is popular amongst the people, then he can remain in politics,” said the four-time MP from Serampore.

“Trump won the election at the age of 78,” the 67-year-old added.

The controversy on the issue within the party reached such a level a few months before the Lok Sabha polls that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had to intervene, asking young members to respect senior leaders, and dismissing assertions that the veterans should retire from politics.

The MP refused to comment on party leader Kunal Ghosh hinting that Abhishek Banerjee could become the next chief minister of West Bengal after Mamata Banerjee.

He, however, said, “When the party asks me to go, I will leave without getting into any controversy.” 

New Delhi:

There was drama, and broken glass and bandages, Tuesday – courtesy Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee – as a joint parliamentary committee met to study amendments to the Waqf Board Bill.

The energetic Mr Banerjee – who made headlines December after mimicking Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, as opposition MPs protested on Parliament’s steps – slammed a glass bottle on the table while arguing with Abhijit Gangopadhyay, a BJP MP and ex judge of the Calcutta High Court.

Mr Banerjee injured his right hand and had to be given first aid; he was escorted, by AAP MP Sanjay Singh and AIMIM MP and chief Asaduddin Owaisi, to the Parliament’s medical centre and treated for a 1.5-centimetre laceration on his right thumb and a cut on his little finger.

Visuals shared by news agency PTI showed Mr Banerjee returning from the visit to the doctor, with Mr Singh and Mr Owaisi flanking him, and the Trinamool leader being fed soup by a staffer.

Mr Banerjee has been suspended from one sitting of the committee.

Sources told NDTV a ‘scuffle’ broke out during a presentation on Odisha.

Mr Banerjee was apparently speaking out of turn; he was determined to make a point as Mr Gangopadhyay was speaking, but the BJP MP was equally determined to not concede.

#WATCH | Delhi: Meeting of the JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee) on the Waqf Bill begins at the Parliament Annexe. It was halted briefly after a scuffle broke out during the meeting.

According to eyewitnesses to the incident, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee picked up a glass water… pic.twitter.com/vTR7xMwOb5

— ANI (@ANI) October 22, 2024

A spat broke out and both MPs began using unparliamentary language, sources said. It was then that an incensed Mr Banerjee then slammed the glass bottle on the table.

The committee met last week too, and there was drama then as well.

Opposition MPs boycotted that meet claiming a “biased” committee and demanding that BJP MP Jagdambika Pal be removed as Chairperson. “We boycotted because the committee is not functioning (as per) principles and norms… In terms of ethics they are wrong,” the Shiv Sena’s Arvind Sawant said.

READ | Opposition MPs Boycott Parliamentary Committee Meet On Waqf Bill

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was tabled in Parliament in August and, amid furious protests from opposition MPs, sent to the joint committee for further study.

Back in August, in the feisty exchange that followed the proposals being tabled, the Congress called it a “draconian” measure, an “attack on the federal system”, and a violation of fundamental rights.

READ | Opposition Targets Non-Muslims Provision In “Draconian” Waqf Bill

Other opposition leaders, including Mr Owaisi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, also objected to the alterations in the Waqf laws, including the make-up of central and state boards – which could now include non-Muslims – and the councils’ ability to earmark land for various purposes.

At least three BJP allies – including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JDU and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP, both of whom are critical in Mr Modi’s party maintaining its government – have also spoken out against the Waqf Amendment Bill.

READ | In Waqf Bill Row, Nitish Kumar Is 3rd BJP Ally To Raise Red Flags

Speaking after the opposition had its say, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju ripped into his rivals, declaring previous central governments (referring to those led by the Congress) could not address this issue, and that had forced the BJP-led administration to introduce these amendments.

READ | Waqf Law Change To Help Women, Say Government Sources

Among the proposed changes (apart from including non-Muslim members) is a provision to include at least two women on every board, including the Central Council. Sources have told NDTV the idea is to empower Muslim women and children who “suffered” under the old law.

With input from agencies

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