Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee mimicked Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar at a protest
Stressing that Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee's mimicry had pained him, Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said the "personal attack" was an insult of his farmer family background and of the Jat community he comes from.
Amid the political storm over the suspension of 141 Opposition MPs across both Houses of Parliament, a video of the Serampore MP mimicking Mr Dhankhar has sparked a row.
The ruling BJP, under fire over the suspension spree, has latched on to the viral video, terming the mimicry a contemptible act. They have also targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, seen filming the spectacle on his phone. The Congress, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said, "supports those who ridicule a constitutional position".
In his remarks in Rajya Sabha, Mr Dhankhar addressed former Home Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram. "Mr Chidambaram, you are a very senior member. Imagine what I felt when a senior leader of your party, an MP, was filming an act making fun of me, a personal attack," he said.
"This is not just the insult of a farmer or a community, it's disrespect to the post of Rajya Sabha chairman. And that too by a party that ruled the country for so long," Mr Dhankhar said, adding, "I am very pained."
The Congress's official Instagram handle, he said, had posted the video, but later took it down. "This is shameful. You used an official handle to humiliate me for my farmer background, to humiliate me as a Jat, to humiliate my position. This is very serious," he said.
Mr Dhankhar is from Rajasthan's Jhunjhunu district and had an illustrious career in law before he entered politics. He has earlier been with the Janata Dal and the Congress. He has also served as a Union Minister in former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar's government. Prior to his election as Vice-President, Mr Dhankhar as West Bengal Governor, during which he had frequent disagreements and heated exchanges with the Trinamool Congress government led by Mamata Banerjee.
Many social media users have criticised the Trinamool MP for the mimicry and termed in an insult of the Jat community.
Community outfit Jat association took to X to criticise Vice-President's mimicry by "Congress elements". "The Jat samaj must reply to this in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls," the post added.
Mr Banerjee was among a group of MPs protesting on the steps of Makar Dwar -- one of the entrances of the new parliament building - when he started mimicking Mr Dhankhar.
The Opposition MPs with him were seen laughing as Mr Banerjee said, "My spine is so straight, I'm so tall", in a parody of the proceedings in Rajya Sabha.
A total of 141 MPs have been suspended after they disrupted proceedings in Parliament to demand a statement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the big parliament security breach last week. Last Wednesday, two intruders entered the Lok Sabha chamber and jumped from desk to desk while using coloured smoke. Six people have been arrested in connection with the incident. The accused have said their objective was to draw attention to the Manipur unrest, umemployment and farmers' issues.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has said the security inside the House comes under the purview of the secretariat and he will not let the government intervene in the matter.