New Delhi, India

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday (Dec 20) to convey his distress over an incident within the parliament premises involving a Trinamool party MP mocking Dhankhar, the Rajya Sabha chairperson. During the conversation, PM Modi said that he has been personally experiencing similar insults for the past two decades.

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This comes as Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee mimicked the Rajya Sabha chairman outside the parliament on Tuesday (Dec 19) where in a recorded video he was seen as saying, “My spine is so straight, I’m so tall.” The now-viral video also shows Congress leader Rahul Gandhi recording Banerjee. 

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In a social media post, Dhankhar wrote, "Received a telephone call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 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."

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During the conversation, Dhankhar told Modi that the "antics of a few won’t prevent me from performing my duty and upholding the principles enshrined in our Constitution. I am committed to those values from the bottom of my heart. None of the insults will make me change my path."

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The act by Banerjee also drew ire from Indian President Droupadi Murmu who weighed in, stating, "I was dismayed to see the manner in which our respected Vice President was humiliated in the Parliament complex. Elected representatives must be free to express themselves, but their expression should be within the norms of dignity and courtesy."

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As the Rajya Sabha reconvened at noon on Tuesday (Dec 19), Dhankhar, condemned the parody as "shameful and unacceptable." The parliament was adjourned on Tuesday (Dec 19) following an uproar over a recent security breach.

"Mimicry of the Chairman, mimicry of Speaker. How ridiculous, how shameful, how unacceptable," Dhankhar expressed.

The Vice President earlier described the mimicry as an insult to his farmer family background and the Jat community. 

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Banerjee while speaking with Indian Express said, “I am a member of the Lok Sabha. I have never seen Rajya Sabha proceedings or Rajya Sabha TV. How will I be able to copy Dhankharji? I am surprised he took it personally. Does he behave like this only? This is an art and he should take it sportingly.”

The day following the suspension of 78 Opposition MPs, which marked the highest single-day suspensions to date, an additional 49 members of the Lok Sabha were suspended for the remainder of the session on Tuesday (Dec 19).

This brings the total number of suspensions to 141 since last Thursday (Dec 14), with 95 from the Lok Sabha and 46 from the Rajya Sabha.

(With inputs from agencies)