NEW DELHI: West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday played down the issue of Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar‘s mimicry by party MP Kalyan Banerjee, saying the act was not meant to be disrespectful and added that if Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had not recorded it on his mobile phone camera, no one would have come to know of it.
Trinamool Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee, who is in the eye of the storm over the episode, also said he never had any intention to hurt or disrespect Dhankhar.
Asked about the row, Mamata Banerjee said, “We respect every one. This was not about disrespecting any one. 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 Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the pending central funds for West Bengal.With political temperatures soaring over the mimicry issue, Kalyan Banerjee was dropped from the list of leaders accompanying the Bengal chief minister for her meeting with PM Modi.
Kalyan Banerjee said he did not intend to hurt anyone but did not offer any apology for the act which has been described by Dhankhar as an insult to the post of Vice President. “Mimicry is not an offence, they (BJP) are trying to change the main issue which is whether suspension of opposition MPs was right,” the TMC MP said and pointed out that even Prime Minister Modi had done it in the past.
Trinamool Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee, who is in the eye of the storm over the episode, also said he never had any intention to hurt or disrespect Dhankhar.
Asked about the row, Mamata Banerjee said, “We respect every one. This was not about disrespecting any one. 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 Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the pending central funds for West Bengal.With political temperatures soaring over the mimicry issue, Kalyan Banerjee was dropped from the list of leaders accompanying the Bengal chief minister for her meeting with PM Modi.
Kalyan Banerjee said he did not intend to hurt anyone but did not offer any apology for the act which has been described by Dhankhar as an insult to the post of Vice President. “Mimicry is not an offence, they (BJP) are trying to change the main issue which is whether suspension of opposition MPs was right,” the TMC MP said and pointed out that even Prime Minister Modi had done it in the past.
Watch: Suspended TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee mimics RS Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, Rahul Gandhi films video
“Did not have any intention at all to hurt anyone, including the Vice President. I have respect for constitutional positions,” the MP said. The TMC MP said he might have some differences with Dhankhar over issues but he meant no disrespect for him.
During Tuesday’s protest on the stairs of Parliament against the suspension of opposition MPs, Kalyan Banerjee mimicked Dhankhar’s mannerisms amid cheers from his colleagues and other MPs. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was seen shooting a video of the act with his mobile phone.