Yesterday’s gathering of suspended MPs during the Winter Season 2023 witnessed TMC MP Kalyan
Banerjee mimicking the Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Jagdeep Dhankhar, who is also the Vice President of
India. during an opposition protest at parliament, drawing laughter from other members as some, like Rahul Gandhi, took videos on their mobile phones.
On a day of 49 MP suspensions, the gathering at Parliament’s Makar Dwar saw TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee
mimicking the Chairman to provide comic relief while fellow legislators looked on and some took part in
the fun by laughing at the act.
But this soon turned into a huge controversy as Vice President Dhankhar, the Rajya Sabha chairperson,
slammed the parody as "shameful and unacceptable".
Trinamool Congress' Kalyan Banerjee who is one of the 141 opposition MPs suspended from the Winter
Season 2023 of the Parliament till now, was seen in a video speaking and gesturing animatedly. Some
MPs were seen chuckling at the act while Rahul Gandhi was seen taking a video on his mobile phone.
THE CHAIRMAN AND VICE PRESIDENT OF INDIA JAGDEEP DHANKAR SAYS THE ACT IS RIDICULOUS,
SHAMEFUL, AND UNACCEPTABLE
Jagdeep Dhankhar called the incident "ridiculous and unacceptable".
As the House reconvened at 12 noon after being adjourned, Mr. Dhankhar – referring to Rahul Gandhi
said, "Office of Chairman, Rajya Sabha and Office of Speaker is 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!" he
said.
BJP CONDEMNS THE ACT
The BJP has shared the video and denounced both Kalyan Banerjee and Rahul Gandhi for mocking the
Vice President of India. "If the country was wondering why opposition MPs were suspended, here is the
reason. TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee mocked the Honourable Vice President, while Rahul Gandhi lustily
cheered him on. One can imagine how reckless and violative they have been of the House!" it said.
The opposition MPs have been demanding a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah on the security
breach in Parliament on December 13, 2023. Jagdeep Dhankhar had earlier labelled the MPs' act an
"absolute transgression" of rules.
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