“PM Modi also did mimicry in the Lok Sabha itself. Everyone took it lightly”: Kalyan Banerjee on RS Speaker mimicry row

TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee on Wednesday said that he had no intention to hurt the Rajya Sabha Speaker and that he harbors great respect for him. Banerjee came under the spot for gesticulating Jagdeep Dhankhar during a mock Parliament that the protesting MPs held at the Makar Dwar on Tuesday. The TMC MP’s act has now drawn flak from President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi who expressed “great pain over the abject theatrics.” “PM Modi also did mimicry in the Lok Sabha itself. I can show you the video. He did it in the last term. Everyone took it lightly," said Kalyan Banerjee speaking on the issue.

"I have not said anything either in the Rajya Sabha or in the Lok Sabha. It was a mock parliament. I am helpless if Jagdeep Dhankhar has taken it on himself. I never had any intention to hurt anyone. He is my senior in my profession. And in our profession, we never hurt anyone. I did not intend to do it," said Kalyan Banerjee stating that it was not his intention to hurt the Rajya Sabha speaker.

The TMC MP maintained that he harbors great respect for Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. In addition, he asserted that mimicry is an art form meant to be taken lightly. "I have a great respect for Dhankhar Ji. First, he belongs to my profession; second, he is our ex-governor (West Bengal), and third, he is the Vice President and the chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Mimicry is one type of art. PM Modi also did mimicry in the Lok Sabha itself. I can show you the video. He did it in the last term. Everyone took it lightly," said Banerjee, highlighting PM Modi’s mimicry of Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha.

Speaking on the issue of PM Modi’s disapproval of his “light-hearted” act and that he has been on the receiving end of such gestures for over 20 years, Kalyan Banerjee said, “But I have not been here for the last 20 years. I don't know why he said that."

“A desperate attempt is being made to divert attention away from the unprecedented suspension of 142 MPs by raising the issue of 'mimicry'. Remember who mimicked whom and that too in the Lok Sabha?” questioned Congress MP Jairam Ramesh in a post on social media platform “X”, drawing inferences to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mimicry of Rahul Gandhi.

In a separate post, the Congress leader sharpened his attack on the “Modi ecosystem”. “The entire Modi ecosystem now being galvanised on the so-called mimicry non-issue, while it remains silent on the real issue of why and how a BJP MP from Mysuru facilitated entry of two intruders into Lok Sabha on December 13th — who are now charged under the anti-terror law UAPA. The entire ecosystem is also silent on the summary suspension of 142 MPs for making a perfectly legitimate demand,” posted the Congress MP.

Former TMC MP Mahua Moitra, who was recently expelled from the Parliament for her alleged role in the “cash-for-query” scam, was quick to hit out at PM Narendra Modi, sharing a video of the Prime Minister, she said, “Mimicry is an art form practised by Masters.” She also took a jibe at the Rashtrapati Bhavan’s tweet, condemning Kalyan Banerjee’s act. “Deathly silence on Manipur, on parliament security breach. But Rashtrapati Bhavan tweets on mimicry. Priorities. Priorities,” she posted on the social media platform “X”.