BJP women MPs to protest near Gandhi statue against mimicry of Jagdeep Dhankhar

Amid a major controversy over a Trinamool Congress MP ostensibly mimicking Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar's mannerisms, BJP women MPs are set to protest near the Gandhi statue in Parliament premises on Wednesday afternoon against the alleged “disrespect” shown to the office of the Rajya Sabha chairman.

The controversy erupted on Tuesday after video clips of suspended TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee mimicking Dhankhar went viral on social media. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was seen recording Banerjee's mimicry on his mobile phone as the TMC MP conducted a mock sitting of the House.

Reacting to the incident, Dhankhar said that it was “shameful and unacceptable”. “I don't care about how much you insult Jagdeep Dhankhar. But I can't tolerate (insult of) Vice President of India, farmers community, my community... I will not tolerate that I could not protect the dignity of my post, it is my duty to protect the dignity of this House,” the Rajya Sabha chairman said as the House reconvened on Wednesday for the fourth time.

Also read: 'Remember who mimicked whom': Cong's reply to mimicry row after PM speaks to VP

Earlier on Tuesday, he 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.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also dialed Dhankhar on Wednesday morning over the mimicry incident, expressing his deep concern and condemnation. Referring to Modi's phone call, Dhankhar in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), said, "He expressed great pain over the abject theatrics of some Honourable MPs and that too in the sacred Parliament complex yesterday. 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 of India and that too in Parliament was unfortunate.”

TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee clarifies his act

The TMC MP, who mimicked Dhankhar, clarified that he had “no intention” to hurt the Vice President of India. “Mimicry is a form of art and I have great respect for the vice president…I did not intend to hurt Dhankar Ji. I don't know why he took it on himself,” he told the media.

“I have not said anything either in the Rajya Sabha or in the Lok Sabha. It was a mock parliament. I am really helpless if he (Jagdeep Dhankhar) has taken it on himself. But my question is does he behave like this in the Rajya Sabha? I never had any intention to hurt anyone. He is my senior in my profession. And in our profession, we never hurt anyone. I did not intend to do it,” Banerjee said.