Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee Suspended from Lok Sabha Over Alleged Indecent Language
New Delhi: Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee was suspended from Lok Sabha for the remainder of the monsoon session on Monday, after some women MPs from a breakaway faction of his party accused him of using indecent language against them. The complaint was made to Speaker Om Birla.
The suspension came through a motion moved by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, which was adopted by the House. Telugu Desam Party MP Krishna Prasad Tenneti informed members about the complaint, stating that Banerjee's conduct was against the dignity of Parliament. The motion was passed amid noisy protests by opposition members, who were also raising the issue of paper leaks.
Banerjee had been sharply critical of the 20 rebel TMC MPs, whose merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India is awaiting the Speaker's approval. He made comments about some of them, leading to the complaint.
Opposition MPs, however, supported Banerjee and urged Speaker Birla to revoke the suspension. They argued that the alleged incident occurred after the House had adjourned, and therefore parliamentary rules were not applicable. A delegation comprising Congress MP K C Venugopal, Samajwadi Party's Dharmendra Yadav, TMC MPs Mahua Moitra, Kirti Azad, Sajda Ahmed, and Pratima Mondal met the Speaker shortly after Banerjee's suspension.
The suspension will last for the remainder of the monsoon session, which is scheduled to conclude on August 12. Banerjee has a history of allegations of inappropriate behaviour, including previous incidents of misconduct in Parliament.
