New Delhi: Vice President and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday slammed Rahul Gandhi for making video of TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee mimicking the former as other opposition members cheered and laughed during a protest on Parliament premises.
Taking note of the incident after the Rajya Sabha reconvened at noon, Dhankhar said: “Office of Chairman, Rajya Sabha and Office of Speaker are very different. Political parties will have their cross currents, they will have exchanges, but imagine a senior leader of your party, video graphing another member of another party. Mimicry of the Chairman, mimicry of Speaker. How ridiculous, how shameful, how unacceptable.”
Later he adjourned the House till 2pm.
In the video, Banerjee, one of the 141 opposition MPs suspended from Parliament, was seen speaking and gesticulating animatedly, mimicking the Vice President, on the steps outside the “Makar Dwar” of the new Parliament building. He can be heard saying: “My spine is so straight, I’m so tall”, while portraying the House proceedings in an impromptu skit.
The BJP also criticised the act, suggesting it was indicative of the reasons behind the suspension of opposition MPs.
“Mocking Parliament, constitutional positions has become their DNA – remember how they said “Modi ki kabr khudegi” & abused his OBC background. From abusing PM post to calling President – ‘Rashtrapatni’ to now insulting a person who comes from OBC samaj from Rajasthan & has become VP of India. True chaal charitra chehra of INDI,” BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla posted on X.
BJP MP from Odisha Suresh Pujari alleged that mimicry also continued inside Parliament and it was also being videographed against the rules. “They are crossing all limits through such acts. The House is unable to take up several issues because of the disturbance being created by the Opposition MPs,” he added.
