The controversy over a Trinamool Congress member of Parliament mimicking Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar took political centrestage on Wednesday with the issue playing out both inside and outside Parliament and President Droupadi Murmu joining Prime Minister Narendra Modi in expressing dismay.
As Dhankhar, also the Rajya Sabha chairperson, said in the House that he would not tolerate any insult to Parliament or the constitutional post of vice president, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said he did not intend to hurt anyone with his act in the Parliament complex on Tuesday.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee backed her party colleague, and the Congress slammed what it termed the government's 'desperate attempt' to divert attention from the unprecedented suspension of over 140 MPs by raising the matter.
The political row broke out after Kalyan Banerjee derisively mimicked Dhankhar during the opposition's protest on the stairs of Parliament on Tuesday against the suspension of MPs, drawing strong condemnation from the ruling BJP.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was seen making a video of the performance by Banerjee.
Expressing their solidarity with Dhankhar, ruling party members, including ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal and Nitin Gadkari, participated in Question Hour proceedings in the Rajya Sabha while remaining standing till Dhankhar urged them to take their seats after about 10 minutes.
In a rare intervention in an unfolding political debate, President Murmu said on X she was dismayed to see the manner in which the vice president was humiliated in the Parliament complex.
"Elected representatives must be free to express themselves, but their expression should be within the norms of dignity and courtesy. That has been the Parliamentary tradition we are proud of, and the People of India expect them to uphold it," Murmu said.
Responding to the president's post, the Rajya Sabha chairperson thanked Murmu for her kind words and the timely reminder that basic courtesies must always remain.
'I am committed to upholding Constitutional principles till my last breath. No insults can prevent me from doing so,' Dhankhar posted on X.
The Vice President's Secretariat also put out a post on X.
'Received a telephone call from the Prime Minister, Shri @narendramodi Ji. He expressed great pain over the abject theatrics of some Honourable MPs and that too in the sacred Parliament complex yesterday,' it said.
'He told me that he has been at the receiving end of such insults for twenty years and counting but the fact that it could happen to a Constitutional office like the Vice President and that too in Parliament was unfortunate,' Dhankhar was quoted as saying in the post.
Raising the issue in the Rajya Sabha, Dhankhar expressed his anguish, saying the act of mimicking him and its videography caused an 'insult' to the honour of the post of the vice president, the farmers and his Jat community.
"I do not care about myself. If someone insults me, I bear it, I will swallow it. But I will never tolerate that I have not been able to protect the dignity of the post I hold. It is my duty to protect the dignity of this House, it is my duty to protect the dignity of the post," the Chairman said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party alleged that it is not just the vice president, the Constitution, farmers and Jat community, have been insulted through the act.
The Congress alleged the 'entire Modi ecosystem' is now being galvanised on the 'so-called mimicry non-issue' while it remains silent on how a BJP MP 'facilitated entry of two intruders' into Lok Sabha and on the suspension of over 140 MPs.
The opposition party said a 'desperate attempt' is being made to divert attention from the unprecedented suspension of MPs by raising this issue.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh slammed the prime minister for the criticism over the mimicry issue and alleged that Narendra Modi, while bidding farewell to Hamid Ansari, who was retiring as vice president and chairman of Rajya Sabha after a long 10-year tenure, mocked Ansari, reducing his identity to his religion.
Rahul Gandhi said he shot the video of MPs sitting outside Parliament which remains on his phone and asked why was there no discussion over MPs being 'thrown out' of the House.
Former vice president M Venkaiah Naidu said the offices of the President, Vice President and Speaker, are constitutional offices whose dignity and decorum must never be lowered.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flayed Rahul Gandhi and TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee for 'insulting' the Rajya Sabha chairperson in a shameful manner and condemned their actions as a blot on India's democratic traditions.
"Who insulted and how? MPs were sitting there, I took their video which remains on my phone. The media continues to show it and is making remarks, Modi ji is making remarks, nobody has said anything," Gandhi said when asked if he would regret capturing the video.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also met Dhankhar to express his concern.
'Conveyed my deep concerns and anguish @VPIndia and Chairman, Rajya Sabha, about serious misdemeanor by Hon'ble MPs in Parliament complex demeaning and denigrating the constitutional office of Vice President,' Birla posted on X along with a video of him meeting Dhankhar.
"It is shocking that one MP chose to amplify this ignoble act by video graphing. This is a new low and no one believing in democracy will ever appreciate it," he said.
BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh demanded an apology from the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).
With Dhankhar's mimicry, the opposition members had shown they can even make fun of a person who is sitting on such a high constitutional post.
Mamata Banerjee said it was done "casually" and not to disrespect the vice president.
"We respect everyone," Banerjee, who was in the Parliament complex to meet the prime minister, said.
Kalyan Banerjee echoed her and said he might have differences with Dhankhar over a few issues but meant no disrespect.
"Mimicry is not an offence, they (BJP) are trying to change the main issue which is whether suspension of opposition MPs was right," the TMC MP said and claimed that even Modi had done so in the past.
"Did not have any intention at all to hurt anyone, including the vice president. Have respect for constitutional positions," he said on Wednesday.
BJP President J P Nadda said in Basti in UP, "You people must have seen it (video) in Parliament yesterday. People send leaders to Parliament to debate. But they are acting like clowns instead of debating. They have taken up mimicry."
"And Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is making his (TMC MP's) video...Today he (Rahul) has taken over the job of cameraman," he said.
Ramesh said in a post on X that a 'desperate attempt is being made to divert attention away from the unprecedented suspension of 142 MPs by raising the issue of 'mimicry''.
He also shared a video clip of Modi's speech in Lok Sabha after Rahul Gandhi had hugged him in 2018.
"Remember who mimicked whom and that too in the Lok Sabha?" Ramesh asked.
Congress president and Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge took offence at Dhankhar describing the mimicry as an insult to his background as a farmer and 'Jat' (his caste).
"I am not allowed to speak in Rajya Sabha often. Should I say it is because I am a Dalit," he said.
Coming out in support of Dhankhar, Jat Mahasangh volunteers also staged a protest march near the Congress headquarters against the 'mocking' of the vice president.
The protesters burnt an effigy of the Congress.
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