When Rahul Gandhi filmed 'Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar' on his mobile phone

The chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Jagdeep Dhankhar, voiced his disgust at the mocking of him during a demonstration on Parliament grounds by suspended Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee, calling it "ridiculous" and "unacceptable."

Banerjee performed a mimicry of Dhankhar in front of several MPs protesting outside Parliament against the mass suspension of Opposition leaders. 

He was heard saying, "My spine is so straight, I'm so tall," as he portrayed the House proceedings in an impromptu skit. All Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs watching him burst into laughter, while Congress MP Rahul Gandhi filmed the 'performance'.

As the House reconvened at noon after an adjournment, Dhankhar took note of the incident and remarked, "The Office of the Chairman, Rajya Sabha, and the Office of the Speaker are very different. Political parties will have their crosscurrents, they will have exchanges, but imagine a senior leader (Rahul Gandhi) of your party, videographing another member of another party. Mimicry of the Chairman, mimicry of the Speaker. How ridiculous, how shameful, how unacceptable."

The BJP also criticized the act, suggesting it was indicative of the reasons behind the suspension of opposition MPs, stating that Banerjee mocked the Vice President while Rahul Gandhi "lustily cheered him on."

The BJP, on its official X (formerly Twitter) page, stated, "If the country was wondering why Opposition MPs were suspended, here is the reason…TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee mocked the Honourable Vice President, while Rahul Gandhi lustily cheered him on. One can imagine how reckless and violative they have been of the House!"

Also Read: Himanta Biswa Sarma expresses disappointment over TMC MP's imitation of Rajya Sabha Chairman

BJP Lok Sabha MP PC Mohan posted the video on social media and wrote, "The cheering and recording of videos by Wayanad MP, while another MP, Kalyan Banerjee, mocked the VP of India and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, are not just an attack on an individual; it's an assault on the very foundations of our democracy. Absolutely shameful!"

Meanwhile, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju wrote, "MP is mocking Hon’ble Vice President of our Country, while Rahul Gandhi is cheering and filming the contemptible act !!"

On the otherhand, Assam CM Sarma wrote, "What a shameful situation! The karta dharta of the country's oldest political party, once at the helm for decades, have stooped to such low levels. It's a live example of how frustration can bring out the worst in someone."

This event occurred against the backdrop of a larger protest concerning the suspension of a record number of 141 MPs due to a major security breach in parliament. The opposition demanded an official statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the security incident that took place on December 13.

The mimicry and recording were widely regarded as disrespectful to the offices of the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and the Speaker, with political figures and parties expressing their views on the matter through various platforms, including social media.