New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has responded to accusations that he made a video of TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee mimicking Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. Gandhi stated that he recorded the video while Banerjee was sitting in Parliament and that the media had broadcast it without any objections.
Rahul Gandhi’s Statement:
“The MP was sitting there; I shot his video. I have the video on my phone. The media is showing… No one said anything.” “Our 150 MPs have been thrown out. But there is no discussion on this. There is no discussion on Adani, there is no discussion on Rafale, and there is no discussion on unemployment. Our MPs are frustrated and sitting outside. But you are discussing mimicry.”
Vice President’s Reaction:
Vice President Dhankhar expressed his distress over the incident, calling it an insult to his community. Following this, farmers and members of the Jat community took to the streets, demanding an apology from Banerjee and Gandhi.
Protests by the Jat Community:
Jat community leaders in Delhi’s Dwarka area staged protests, stating that the agitation would continue until the two leaders apologized. “The way Kalyan Banerjee mimicked the Vice President is an insult to our society. Kalyan Banerjee was doing mimicry at the time. Rahul Gandhi is seen in the video,” a protest leader said.
BJP’s Criticism:
BJP leaders criticised Rahul Gandhi for his alleged involvement in the incident.
TMC MP’s Response:
TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee responded by expressing his respect for Vice President Dhankhar. He stated that mimicry is a form of art and declined to apologise, pointing out that the Prime Minister had also engaged in mimicry within Parliament.
The incident has sparked a debate on the limits of acceptable humour and the importance of respecting elected officials.