Lok Sabha adopts motion to suspend TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee for Monsoon Session over remarks against woman member

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday (22 July) passed a resolution to suspend Trinamool Congress' (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee for Monsoon session for using unparliamentary language against a woman member.

TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee had a heated exchange with some of his former party colleagues and NCPI MPs in the Lok Sabha chamber on Wednesday after the House was adjourned following an uproar by the opposition.

The Monsoon session ends on August 13.

Lok Sabha adopts resolution against Kalyan Banerjee

The action came shortly after the House reconvened at 2 pm following its second adjournment of the day. Presiding officer Krishna Prasad Tenneti informed members that a complaint had been received against Banerjee, stating that his remarks had undermined the dignity of the House.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal then moved a resolution seeking Banerjee's suspension for the remainder of the Monsoon Session. The motion was approved by a voice vote despite continued sloganeering by opposition MPs over the NEET paper leak and other issues.

Following the adoption of the resolution, Tenneti directed Banerjee to leave the precincts of the Lok Sabha. With opposition members continuing their protests, the House was later adjourned for the day.

Heated exchange inside Lok Sabha preceded suspension

The suspension followed an earlier confrontation inside the Lok Sabha chamber after proceedings had been adjourned amid opposition protests.

Banerjee was involved in a heated exchange with MPs from the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a party formed by former Trinamool colleagues who broke away from the TMC after the party's defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections.

Among those involved in the altercation were NCPI MPs Mitali Bagh, Shatabdi Roy and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar. While the precise trigger for the exchange remains unclear, several opposition MPs intervened in an attempt to calm the situation.

Banerjee subsequently left the chamber. Soon afterwards, Bagh, Dastidar and other NCPI MPs met Speaker Om Birla in his chamber, reportedly to raise the matter formally.

Rift between TMC and former colleagues

The confrontation underscored the deepening political divide between the TMC and its former parliamentarians. Around 20 TMC MPs rebelled against the party leadership after the West Bengal Assembly elections and later joined the NCPI.

The NCPI legislators now sit separately from TMC MPs in the Lok Sabha and have publicly declared their support for the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Banerjee, meanwhile, has remained one of Mamata Banerjee's loyalists within the Trinamool Congress.

Suspension comes a day after public spat with Mamata Banerjee

The Lok Sabha action came less than 24 hours after Banerjee found himself at the centre of another controversy during the TMC's Martyrs' Day rally in Kolkata.

The Serampore MP walked out of the event after a disagreement with party chief Mamata Banerjee over the length of his speech. According to sources, the dispute began after Mamata Banerjee arrived at the venue while he was addressing the gathering.

Banerjee briefly paused to welcome her before continuing. As the programme fell behind schedule, he was asked to conclude his address but continued speaking for approximately 22-and-a-half minutes.

After leaving the stage, he reportedly had a heated exchange with Mamata Banerjee before walking away. Later, Banerjee said he was "extremely hurt" by the episode..