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Published 11:48 IST, December 20th 2023

'Mimicry is an Art...': Kalyan Banerjee remains UNAPOLOGETIC

"Mimicry is one kind of art. I have never had any intention to hurt anyone...Does he really behave like this in Rajya Sabha?" Kalyan Banerjee said.

Reported by: Digital Desk
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Kalyan Banerjee
Kalyan Banerjee remains unapologetic | Image: Republic TV

New Delhi: Suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee remained unapologetic, a day after a video clip of him mimicking Jagdeep Dhankhar was aired on television news channels. Talking to reporters, on mimicry row, Banerjee said, "Mimicry is one kind of art. 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..."

On the other hand, hitting out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, BJP's Locket Chatterjee said,"Why is she silent? Action should be taken on this and Mamata Banerjee should answer."   

Mimicry Row: All You Need to Know

Suspended from Parliament, opposition leaders yesterday staged protests on the stairs of the building with Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee breaking into an impromptu skit mocking Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Rahul Gandhi making a video of the performance, sparking a political controversy.

The targeting of the vice president drew sharp reactions from the BJP as the Rajya Sabha chairman himself termed the opposition actions as "shameful" and "insult" of his background as a farmer. "Imagine what must be going through my heart when your senior leader videographs a Member of Parliament mocking the institution of the chairman... Don't take on my background as a farmer," Dhankhar said in Rajya Sabha, addressing senior Congress leader P Chidambaram. 

PM Modi Dials Dhankhar

Earlier in the day, PM Modi also dialled Dhankhar and expressed grief over the ‘abject theatrics’ of some lawmakers.  “Received a telephone call from the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi Ji. 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 the Parliament was unfortunate,” the Vice President said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Updated 12:52 IST, December 20th 2023