Kalyan Banerjee suspended from Lok Sabha as rebel MPs complain of foul language

NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee, not new to allegations of inappropriate behaviour, was suspended from Lok Sabha for the remainder of Parliament’s monsoon session after some women MPs of the party’s breakaway faction accused him of using indecent language against them and complained to Speaker Om Birla.The House adopted a motion moved by Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal for his suspension as Telugu Desam Party MP Krishna Prasad Tenneti informed members of the complaint, saying his objectionable conduct was against the prestige of Parliament. The motion was passed amid noisy protests by opposition members on the paper leak issue.Banerjee had been sharply critical of the 20 rebel MPs, whose merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India is awaiting Birla’s approval, and passed comments on a few of them, leading to the complaint.Banerjee, however, drew support from opposition MPs, who urged Birla to withdraw the suspension, contending that the alleged incident occurred after the House was adjourned and, thus, 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, among others, met the speaker shortly after Banerjee was suspended.