"How Much Do You Want To Flatter Narendra Modi?" Trinamool MP Asks Veep

Days after his mimicry on Parliament premises raised a political storm, Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee has said he is "helpless" if someone "does not understand humour" and does not have a "cultured mind" to appreciate mimicry.

Addressing a political meeting at his Lok Sabha constituency Serampore, Mr Banerjee said the first person to perform mimicry inside Lok Sabha was Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He then mimicked the Prime Minister while on stage. "He did that, we smiled. We did not take an exception."

Mimicry, the Trinamool leader reiterated, is an art. "If someone does not understand art, what can I do? If someone does not understand humour, if someone does not have a cultured mind, if someone identifies himself as the target, I am helpless," he said, without naming Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who has taken strong note of his act of mimicry.

"I can't understand why you think it is about you, he's crying from day to night. Why is he crying so much, like a child?" the Trinamool MP said, and proceeded to mimic a child complaining to his mother about someone teasing him.

Mr Dhankhar had said the Trinamool MP's "shameful" act of mimicry had pained him and that he had been insulted as a farmer's son from the Jat community. He had also hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for filming Mr Banerjee's act.

Hitting back at the Vice-President's remark that he had been insulted as a farmer's son, the Trinamool MP dared him to tell the people of the country how many days he had worked in a field. "I pray that crores of farmers in the country amass as much property as him," he said.

"You say you are a farmer's son. You wear a suit worth Rs 20 lakh. Many Indian farmers can't even afford a blanket in this winter. So after rising to such a position, how many lakh blankets have you sent to their homes. Please tell the people," he said.

"You say you are a farmer's son. Then tell us, during your career as a lawyer, how many times have you fought a case for farmers? I have done it. I have fought cases for the poor for 40 years," he said.

Mr Banerjee also questioned why the Vice-President had not supported Olympic bronze medallist Sakshee Mallikkh, who led the protest against BJP MP and former wrestling boss Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Ms Malikkh and other ace wrestlers have accused the BJP MP of sexually harassing women wrestlers. "You didn't speak a word, why? Please answer" he said. "Just me, me, me despite being on such a high post."

Accusing the Vice-President of trying to flatter the Prime Minister, Mr Banerjee said, "You choke the voices of the Opposition. And then you say Narendra Modi is the 'Mahapurush' of this century. It is clear how much you flatter him."

Mr Banerjee had broken into the act of mimicry during an Opposition MPs' protest on Parliament premises against the spree of suspensions, A total of 146 Opposition MPs have been suspended from the two Houses for 'unruly conduct' after they demanded a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the Parliament security breach.

The BJP strongly criticised the MP, calling his act of mimicry disrespectful towards the Vice-President. In a unique gesture, BJP MPs remained standing in Rajya Sabha for an hour to protest the act.