Baijayant Panda quits BJD
Bhubaneswar, May 28: Baijayant Jay Panda, who was suspended from primary membership of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in January, quit the party on Monday.
"It's with deep anguish, hurt and sorrow that I have decided to quit the politics into which our BJD has descended," said Panda in a letter to Odisha Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik, adding that he would convey his decision to the Lok Sabha Speaker.
"With the BJD and you yourself having made it abundantly clear that I am unwanted, it is only right to disassociate from it," he said in the letter.
The Kendrapada MP said: "It has plumbed the absolute depths of inhumanity when neither you nor anyone from the BJD turned up to pay their last respects to my father Bansidhar Panda, who as everyone knows was a very close friend, supporter and associate of Biju uncle (Biju Patnaik) for decades."
Senior Panda, a noted Odia industrialist, passed away on May 22 at the age of 87.
Panda said that he was heartbroken when several BJD leaders conveyed that they had been restrained from coming by to pay their last respects to the departed soul.
He also said he will convey his decision to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to accept his resignation upon completion of his religious obligations of bereavement.
"I've been viciously targeted, including being physically assaulted with stones, bricks and eggs last May in Mahanga. I was extremely saddened that even then you (Naveen Patnaik) did not bother to call to inquire about my health and safety," said Baijayant.
Patnaik had suspended Panda from the party for his anti-party activities on January 24.
He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2009 and 2014 from Kendrapara Lok Sabha constituency. Earlier, he was elected to Rajya Sabha twice on BJD ticket.
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TMC MP Saugata Roy says Moitra cried after spat, demands chief whip Kalyan Banerjee's sacking
New Delhi/Kolkata, Apr 8 (PTI): Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra was seen crying after a spat with colleague Kalyan Banerjee before a TMC delegation met the Election Commission last week, party MP Sougata Roy said on Tuesday and demanded Banerjee be removed as the party's chief whip in the House over behavioural issues.
His remarks came as purported videos and WhatsApp chats emerged of the bitter exchanges between TMC MPs, including Kirti Azad, who had advised Banerjee to exercise restrain.
Talking to reporters in Kolkata, Roy accused Banerjee of being "uncivilised" on multiple occasions and mentioned that during a JPC meeting on the Waqf Bill, the Srerampore MP broke a bottle and threw it at the chairman of the panel.
With BJP leader Amit Malviya sharing videos purportedly showing Banerjee shouting at his colleagues while entering the Election Commission's office as party leaders tried to calm him down, Roy confirmed that an altercation took place but added that he was not present there.
According to a source in the TMC, the spat occurred on April 4 when a delegation of TMC leaders met the full bench of the Election Commission over the duplicate voter ID numbers and also staged a march to Parliament after that.
The source said that Banerjee was given the charge of getting the signatures of TMC MPs on a memorandum that the party was to submit to the EC. Moitra had alleged that she was not included in the signatories and slammed Banerjee over it outside the EC office, the source said.
A war of words broke out between the two MPs and Banerjee has claimed that Moitra had asked security personnel at the EC office to arrest him.
Reacting to the issue, Roy said, "I was not there when this altercation between Kalyan Banerjee and Mahua Moitra took place. I was at Vijay Chowk and the spat took place in front of the Election Commission office. I saw Mahua crying and complaining to several MPs, of other parties also, about Kalyan's behaviour."
"Whatever happened is unfortunate," he said, adding that the party's "internal matters" were being "leaked'. He, however, clarified that Moitra did not tell him anything directly.
"She told another MP. She said that he (Banerjee) behaved in an uncivilised manner," Roy said, adding the chief whip of the party in the Lower House of Parliament is known for his intemperate and uncivilised behaviour.
"I feel it is beneath my dignity to reply to whatever Kalyan Banerjee may have said. His uncivilised behaviour had been in our focus several times. He called (Union Minister) Jyotiraditya Scindia 'lady killer' and later apologised to him.
"During the JPC meeting on Waqf, he broke a bottle and threw it at the chairman of the panel. Kalyan is known for his intemperate and uncivilised behaviour. So far, I did not speak about it because it's beneath my dignity. I heard from you that he has said things against me and that's why I have replied," Roy told reporters.
He said Kalyan Banerjee should be removed from the post of the chief whip of the party in Lok Sabha. "But I leave it to (Trinamool supremo) Mamata Banerjee's judgment."
"That Kalyan is not fit to be on the post is apparent to me. I have not said it so far, but because of his behaviour and his incorrect English. But now, I think the time has arrived to see into it," Roy said.
"I do not expect Kalyan to uphold my dignity. I think I can do that... I have been in Parliament for five years, in Assembly for another five and these are pretty long tenures for people to judge. I don't want Kalyan Banerjee's certificate. Let him learn his English first," he said.
The screenshots of WhatsApp messages, purportedly from a group chat of TMC MPs, that was shared on X by Malviya, showed that Banerjee had a tiff with Kirti Azad, the party MP from Durgapur, with the Srerampore MP referring to an unknown "versatile international lady?"
In the purported group chats, Banerjee had posted a message, saying that he had reached Kolkata. Then he added, "Send your BSF and Delhi Police to arrest me. Your home ministry connection is a very strong international great lady."
Another message, purportedly by Banerjee, read, "Today I congratulate the gentleman who opened the beautiful activities of a versatile international lady. That day not a single boyfriend of hers stood behind her. This foolish man whom she wanted to arrest by BSF, stood behind her. Today of course 30 years famous player stood behind her to get me arrested."
In response, Kirti Azad could be seen purportedly asking Banerjee to not act like a "juvenile delinquent." A still unrelenting Banerjee threw a few more sallies at Azad, one of which was terming him a "captain of... internal politics."
"Your popularity is so much that you lost election in cricket. Let me see your power to get me arrested for your friend. Do not worry I will go to Durgapur and open your musk (sic)," he purportedly wrote in the group chat.
Another party source said Banerjee was upset with Azad earlier when he had prepared a proposal demanding that a sweetmeat outlet selling 'sandesh', a traditional Bengali sweet, be opened in the Parliament House.
The source said Banerjee had opined that if a stall has to be opened in the Parliament House, it should be a franchise of the West Bengal government.
Minor correction : date is 4th Apr 2025 and not 2024. https://t.co/Clus9LkNb0
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) April 8, 2025
