TMC rebel MP seeks Kalyan Banerjee's expulsion from Parliament over 'misconduct'

Lok Sabha MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking the expulsion of TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee from the Lower House over alleged misconduct during parliamentary proceedings, a day after she and 19 other rebel TMC MPs joined the Nationalist Citizens Party.

In her complaint, Dastidar alleged that Banerjee had been making objectionable, insulting and misogynistic remarks against her and other women MPs during parliamentary proceedings.

This is the second complaint filed by Dastidar against Banerjee in the past month. On May 28, she had also written to Birla, accusing him of misconduct towards women MPs inside the Lower House.

'SYSTEMATIC, RECURRING MISCONDUCT'

In her latest letter to the Speaker, Ghosh Dastidar said the conduct was not an isolated incident that occurred during a debate but had become a systematic and recurring pattern.

According to the complaint, Banerjee's repeated personal attacks, attempts at intimidation and abusive remarks have gone beyond the bounds of political disagreement and amount to mental harassment.

She alleged that the conduct had not only caused her personal distress but had also created an atmosphere that hindered the free and fearless participation of women members in Parliament.

Dastidar further argued that the behaviour was in direct violation of Rules 349 and 352 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, which seek to uphold the dignity of the House.

Referring to the freedom of speech privileges available to MPs under Article 105 of the Constitution, she contended that such privileges cannot be treated as a licence for harassment or misconduct.

She urged the Speaker to take immediate cognisance of the matter under Rule 314(1) of the Lok Sabha Rules and initiate strict disciplinary action, including the expulsion of Kalyan Banerjee from the House, to ensure a safe and respectful workplace in Parliament.

MAY 28 LETTER TO LOK SABHA SPEAKER

In her May 28 letter, Dastidar formally complained against Banerjee, accusing the TMC chief whip in the Lok Sabha of misconduct, verbal abuse and derogatory behaviour towards women MPs inside the House.

She sought permission from the Speaker to formally register the complaint and demanded action and "punishment" in the matter. The Barasat MP alleged that Banerjee's behaviour was not limited to her and claimed that several other women MPs had also faced similar treatment from him.

Banerjee, however, rejected the allegations and questioned their timing. He alleged that Dastidar was acting with an ulterior motive following her removal as chief whip of the TMC.

REBEL MPs JOIN LITTLE-KNOWN PARTY

The latest development comes a day after Dastidar and other rebel TMC MPs joined the little-known Tripura-based Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and decided to back the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre.

The dramatic merger came amid the biggest rebellion to hit the Trinamool Congress in years. After meeting Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday, the dissident MPs sought separate seating arrangements in the House and formally informed him of their decision to merge with the NCPI.

According to sources, the rebel TMC MPs opted to associate themselves with the NCPI due to legal complications in forming a separate parliamentary bloc.

Dastidar also said the group would "collaborate" with the NDA under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

NCPI: TRIPURA-BASED PARTY

The NCPI is a registered but unrecognised political party based in Tripura and has no significant electoral presence. Its election symbol is an ink pen nib with seven strokes.

The party contested three seats in the 2023 Tripura Assembly elections, with its candidates either finishing behind NOTA or securing only marginally higher vote counts.

The NCPI remained largely unknown until the rebel TMC MPs announced their decision to merge with it. However, NCPI founder Santanu Dey, who describes himself as an RSS activist and social worker, expressed reservations about the merger due to the party's anti-TMC stance in the past.

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