Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar expressed his strong disapproval on Tuesday towards Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee for imitating him outside Parliament. The incident was captured on video by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, causing laughter among opposition MPs who have been protesting against the mass suspension of their fellow MPs from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Dhankhar condemned the act as shameful, absurd, and completely unacceptable.
The Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament imitated Dhankhar in an impromptu performance, portraying the proceedings of Parliament that have been disrupted by numerous adjournments in recent days. The opposition is demanding an official statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the breach of security in Parliament on December 13.
Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal also criticized the incident and called for the suspension of Kalyan Banerjee. “The member (MP) should be suspended for disregarding the house and the authority of the chair,” he stated.
Opposition MPs have been protesting outside the Parliament building since yesterday, following the suspension of 92 MPs from various opposition parties. An additional 49 MPs have now been suspended, bringing the total number of suspensions to a record-breaking 141.
In response to the mass suspension, the BJP took to X and provided an explanation for why it occurred.
“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 enthusiastically supported him. One can imagine the extent of their recklessness and violation of the House,” the BJP posted on the micro-blogging site, accompanied by a video of the mimicry.
The Congress also criticized the BJP-Centre by sharing an image on X. The caption read, “It is prohibited to ask questions.”
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also criticized the Centre, writing on X, “The new Parliament reflects Namocracy in all its tyranny.”