Premium
This is an archive article published on December 25, 2023

TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee mimics V-P Jagdeep Dhankhar again: ‘it is an art form’

Kalyan Banerjee said he would not ‘step back’ from imitating Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar.

kalyan banerjee jagdeep dhankhar mimicryWhile speaking during a programme in West Bengal’s Sreerampur, Kalyan Banerjee claimed he would do it a thousand times as he targeted Jagdeep Dhankhar. (Video screengrab)

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee, who sparked a controversy over his mimicry of Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar in the Parliament complex recently, said that mimicking entailed his right to freedom of expression.

Speaking at a programme in his Lok Sabha constituency Serampore in Hooghly district on Sunday, Banerjee insisted that he would repeat the act a thousand times since it is his fundamental right. “Mimicky is an art form. It is my fundamental right to express my views. The right to dissent and protest is also a fundamental right. You can put me in jail for this but I will not step back,” said Banerjee, a senior lawyer, who was suspended from the Lok Sabha along with several others from two Houses of Parliament.

Without naming Dhankhar, he said, “Children are used to complaining like this. But he should know that he ignited the fire. Now if that fire burns down Lanka, that is not our fault .”

Story continues below this ad

He further said, “I did the mimicry but later I came to know that it became a big deal. But the first act of mimicry I saw in the Lok Sabha was by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. When he did it, we laughed it off. We took the matter sportingly. They are crying hoarse over mimicry.”

Banerjee mimicked Rajya Sabha chairman Dhankhar during the Opposition’s protest on the stairs of Parliament on December 19 against the suspension of MPs, drawing strong condemnation from the ruling BJP. Accusing Dhankhar of “throttling the Opposition to please the ruling dispensation at the Centre”, the TMC MP said, “How much will you bend? How much do you want to please Narendra Modi and the BJP?”

Dhankhar termed the act as “shameful, ridiculous and unacceptable”.

Accusing Dhankhar of being engrossed with himself while adorning a Constitutional position, Banerjee, rapidly shaking his hands and body, said that he should look at the country instead. He later clarified that he didn’t intend to hurt Dhankhar.

Story continues below this ad

On Monday, Banerjee went to a church in his constituency on the occasion of Christmas and distributed sweets among children.

Reacting to Banerjee’s remarks, state BJP chief Sukanta Majumder said, “Mimicry is an art but you have to understand where you are doing this… the Parliament staircase is not a place for mimicry. Also, the Vice-President cannot be the subject of your mimicry. If you do that repeatedly, questions will be raised on your mental stability.”— With PTI inputs

Atri Mitra is a Special Correspondent of The Indian Express with more than 20 years of experience in reporting from West Bengal, Bihar and the North-East. He has been covering administration and political news for more than ten years and has a keen interest in political development in West Bengal. Atri holds a Master degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University and Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. He is also an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur. He started his career with leading vernacular daily the Anandabazar Patrika, and worked there for more than fifteen years. He worked as Bihar correspondent for more than three years for Anandabazar Patrika. He covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections. He also worked with News18-Bangla and covered the Bihar Lok Sabha election in 2019. ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Latest Comment
Post Comment
Read Comments
Advertisement
Loading Taboola...
Advertisement