New Delhi, Dec 20: Former vice president M Venkaiah Naidu Wednesday said the offices of the President, Vice President and Speaker, are constitutional offices whose dignity and decorum must never be lowered.
He was commenting on the mimicry incident involving present Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
A huge political row broke out after Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee derisively mimicked Dhankhar during the opposition’s protest on the stairs of Parliament on Tuesday against the suspension of MPs, drawing strong condemnation from the ruling BJP.
“The offices of the President, Vice President and Speaker, are Constitutional offices whose dignity & decorum must never be lowered. In mocking these high offices, we are plumbing the depths of parliamentary conduct & only ridiculing ourselves. We must always use only parliamentary & democratic means to express dissent & disagreement,” Naidu said in a post on X.
As many as 143 opposition MPs have been suspended from the two Houses of Parliament for unruly behaviour.
Senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh also on Wednesday flayed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee for “insulting” the Rajya Sabha chairperson in a shameful manner and condemned their actions as a blot on India’s democratic traditions.
In a strongly worded post on X, the defence minister said respect for those holding constitutional positions is the life force of democracy. “But the way political opposition is being turned into animosity to devalue Parliament’s dignity in such a low manner is a matter of concern for the entire political class,” he said, condemning the incident.
West Bengal CM Mamata
plays down the issue
West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee Wednesday played down the issue of Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar’s mimicry by her party’s MP, saying it was not meant to be disrespectful. In the eye of the storm over the mimicry row, Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee also said he never had any intention to hurt or disrespect Dhankhar.
Asked about the mimicry row, Mamata Banerjee said, “We respect everyone. This was not about disrespecting anyone. This should be taken politically and casually. You people would not have known about it if Rahul ji had not recorded it”.
She was in the Parliament complex on Wednesday to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi over pending central funds for the state.Amid the row, Kalyan Banerjee was dropped from the list of leaders accompanying Mamata Banerjee in her meeting with Modi even though his name had figured on the approved list of people joining her for the appointment. (PTI)
