The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Waqf Amendment Bill had another stormy sitting on Tuesday when Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee broke a glass bottle and hurt himself while arguing with BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay during the meeting.

JPC Chairman Jagdambika Pal later suspended him for one day and two meetings of the JPC following a motion by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey.

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Hearing various stakeholders and experts on the Bill, the JPC meeting was attended by many eminent personalities, including retired judges and Supreme Court lawyers.

According to sources, Mr Kalyan Banerjee wanted to speak, although he had already taken his turn earlier and wanted to get a chance again during the presentation.

BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay objected to disruption from Mr Banerjee and a heated exchange ensued between them. Mr Banerjee picked up a glass water bottle, hit it on the table and hurt himself.

Due to the incident, the meeting adjourned for some time. Soon after, he was taken for medical aid, wherein he received four stitches in his hand.

In today’s meeting, the committee was scheduled to hear 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) was due to present its perspectives on the Bill.

The committee met on Monday, inviting officials from the Ministry of Minority Affairs to provide oral evidence regarding the Bill. The Opposition raised questions about the consultative process on the Amendments proposed in the Bill.

Opposition members accused the government of introducing the Bill for political reasons, alleging it targeted the Muslim community. AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi presented a nearly one-hour critique of the Bill, raising concerns about its implications.

Despite the tensions, BJP members defended the Bill, arguing that it is necessary for reforming Waqf property management and ensuring transparency.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aims to bring significant reforms, including digitisation of records, stricter audits, increased transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied Waqf properties.