'Some people took up job of a joker': Nadda attacks Opposition leaders over mimicry row

BJP chief JP Nadda on Wednesday attacked the protesting I.N.D.I.A block leaders saying that some of them took up the job of a joker and imitated Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar instead of participating in debates in Parliament.

#WATCH | UP: BJP national president JP Nadda says, "...You send leaders to discuss & debate in Parliament. But yesterday some people took up the job of a joker and imitated instead of debating in Parliament. Yesterday an MP was imitating the Vice President in the Parliament and… pic.twitter.com/rEqW5arVdt

— ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2023

Addressing an event on Wednesday, Nadda said, “…You send leaders to discuss and debate in Parliament. But yesterday some people took up the job of a joker and imitated instead of debating in Parliament.” Referring to TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee, Nadda said that an MP was imitating the Vice President in Parliament and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was making a video of it. “Congress, about which it is said that its history is more than 100 years old. The leader of that Congress is insulting the farmer’s son, Jat’s son and OBC representative and the person holding the constitutional post of Vice President…,” said Nadda. TMC MP Banerjee, while protesting with other suspended MPs at Parliament’s Makar Dwar, was seen imitating the Vice President, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi filmed the Trinamool MP using his phone. Other leaders too we seen having a good laugh as Banerjee imitated Dhankar.

TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee mimics Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. 😹😹 pic.twitter.com/jlgua1ywSL

— Abhishek (@AbhishekSay) December 19, 2023

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As the House resumed at noon after being adjourned, Dhankhar took cognizance of the incident and said, “Office of Chairman, Rajya Sabha and Office of Speaker is very different. Political parties will have their differences, they will have exchanges, but imagine a senior leader of your party, videographing another member of another party. Mimicry of the Chairman, mimicry of Speaker. How ridiculous, how shameful, how unacceptable.” Earlier in the day, Dhankhar said that he received a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi who expressed great pain over the abject theatrics of some MPs during a protest on Parliament premises. Taking to X, Dhankhar wrote, “Received a telephone call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He expressed great pain over the abject theatrics of some MPs and that too in the Parliament complex yesterday.” He said that PM Modi told him that he too has been at the receiving end of such insults but such a thing happening to Constitutional chair was unfortunate. “He (PM Modi) 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,” wrote Dhankar. Dhankar said that he told the Prime Minister that the antics of a few won’t prevent him from performing his duty and upholding the principles enshrined in the Constitution. “I am committed to those values from the bottom of my heart. None of the insults will make me change my path,” added Dhankar.