A day after the video clip of TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee ostensibly mimicking Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar went viral, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader on Wednesday called mimicry a “type of art” and defended his action by citing a past instance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi “doing mimicry in Lok Sabha”.
“I have great respect for Dhankhar ji. Firstly, he belongs to my profession. He’s senior to me. He was our ex-governor. He is our Vice President. It is just one type of art. Also, mimicry has been done by the PM in the past in the Lok Sabha itself. I can show you the video. He has done it. We never took that seriously,” the TMC MP said.
#WATCH On mimicry row, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee says, “I have never had any intention to hurt anyone…Does he really behave like this in Rajya Sabha? Mimicry was done by the PM in Lok Sabha between 2014-2019…” pic.twitter.com/rc6c5X8Lku
— ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2023
On Tuesday, Kalyan Banerjee was seen mimicking Jagdeep Dhankhar at Parliament’s Makar Dwar, in an incident that has been condemned by both the Prime Minister and the President. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was seen filming the act.
Defending his actions, Banerjee said a “mock parliament” was going on when his act was recorded and sought to know if Dhankhar behaves in the way he had acted. “I have not said it was Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha…a mock parliament was going on. If he has taken this to his shoulder, I am really helpless. Does he really behave like this in the Rajya Sabha?” he asked.
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He also claimed that PM Modi had indulged in mimicry in the Lok Sabha during 2014-2019. “I can show you video, but no one took that seriously,” he added.
Dhankhar had slammed the incident as a “personal attack” and in a symbolic gesture, the ruling alliance MPs are set to stand in the Rajya Sabha for an hour in his respect, NDTV reported.