Mimicking of Vice-Prez Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar in Parliament turns into political crisis
Mimicking of Vice-Prez Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar in Parliament turns into political crisis
In an ugly scenario in the house of parliament on Wednesday
mimicking of TMC MP Rajya Sabha Chairman Kalyan Banerjee turned into a
Political crisis in the midst of a protest by Opposition parties outside the new Parliament building.
The incident was widely condemned by senior officials, including the President, Draupadi Murmu
PM Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker, and former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.
Banerjee, was protesting alongside other MPs against the suspension of opposition members, imitating Dhankhar.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and others captured this act on their cellphones, that sparked a significant debate.
PM Modi contacted the Vice-President, expressing his distress over the incident, and termed it as ‘abject theatrics and was upset more so because the mockery was directed at a constitutional office within the Parliament.
In response, Dhankhar affirmed his commitment to constitutional values, resolving not to be deterred by such insults.
Dhankhar later posted on microblogging site X on having received a call from Modi.
President Draupadi Murmu too was dismayed at the humiliation of the Vice President within the Parliament complex, emphasizing the need for elected representatives to adhere to norms of dignity and courtesy. Foremer
Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu too condemned the act on social media, highlighting the importance of maintaining the dignity of constitutional offices.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla met with Dhankhar, describing the incident as a ‘new low’ in parliamentary conduct. In solidarity, ruling party members, including ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal
and Nitin Gadkari, stood for about 10 minutes during Rajya Sabha proceedings.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee advised taking the incident lightly and refrained from further comment. Kalyan Banerjee defended his actions, stating he had no intention of causing harm, and questioned why his mimicry was taken so seriously.
He compared it to past mimicries by PM Modi in the Lok Sabha. Rahul Gandhi criticised the media’s focus on the mimicry, urging coverage of other significant issues such as the suspension of MPs, economic concerns, and defence deals, while highlighting the disheartened perspective of MPs.
News Edit K.V.Raman
