RS Chairman Mimicry Row: "We should not link everything with caste," says Congress's Meira Kumar
Dec 21, 2023
New Delhi [India], December 21 : Following the controversy that erupted over the mimicry of Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Congress leader and former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar said that we should not link everything with caste.
The controversy erupted after suspended Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee, during the protest with other suspended MPs at Parliament's Makar Dwar, was seen mimicking Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was seen filming the Trinamool MP using his phone.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been accusing the opposition MPs of "denigrating" the Jat community, to which Jagdeep Dhankhar belongs.
Responding to the allegations, Congress leader Kumar said, "No one has been insulted. We should not link everything with caste. This is wrong."
Earlier on Wednesday, Vice President Dhankhar revealed the details of his telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Modi, where the latter mentioned that he had been at the receiving end of such insults for twenty years and counting.
Taking to his official handle on X, Vice President Dhankhar said he received a telephone call from Prime Minister Modi during which he said he had been at the receiving end of such insults for twenty years and counting but doing the same to a constitutional office in the Parliament was unfortunate.
Replying to Prime Minister Modi, the Rajya Sabha Chairman said none of the insults will make him change his path, adding that he is committed to upholding the values that he holds dear.
"I told him, Mr. Prime Minister, 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," Dhankhar posted.
Meanwhile, weighing in on the mimicry row, Jairam Ramesh shared a video on X (former Twitter) where PM Modi is targeting senior Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
"The Prime Minister has said that he has been suffering insults for the last twenty years. But what will he say about the way he has insulted his political opponents and used abusive and indecent language against them in the last 20 years? This is their cliched way of diverting attention from the real issue," Ramesh said in a post on 'X'.
Rahul Gandhi also targeted the media, claiming that it is entirely focused on showing the mimicry incident and not highlighting the pain and agony of the suspended MPs.
Addressing reporters in New Delhi, Rahul Gandhi said, "MPs were sitting there, I shot their video. My video is on my phone. The media is showing it. Nobody has said anything.150 of our MPs have been thrown out (of the House) but there is no discussion on that in the media. There is no discussion on Adani, no discussion on Rafale, no discussion on unemployment."
"Our MPs are disheartened and sitting outside. Please show their side also. What can we do if you are totally running on one line?" he added.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Manoj Tiwari came down heavily on the opposition over the insult to the Vice President of India.
"This was an insult to farmers, his (Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar) community, and those sitting in constitutional posts. Rahul Gandhi, Congress, and their alliance will have to bear its brunt," Tiwari said.
