Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, amid the controversy surrounding the mimicry of Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar, brought attention to a past incident when Prime Minister Narendra Modi allegedly "mocked" former Vice-President Hamid Ansari during his farewell in 2017. Ramesh criticized the recent uproar over Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee's mimicry of Dhankar, dismissing it as an "absolutely pathetic attempt to divert attention" from the suspension of 144 MPs from Parliament and the December 13 security breach.
Sharing a video clip of PM Modi's speech, Ramesh accused the Prime Minister of reducing Ansari's identity to his religion, suggesting that his professional and political achievements were attributed solely to his religious identity. Ramesh described the Prime Minister and his supporters as hypocrites and opportunists.
In the video, PM Modi allegedly conveyed similar sentiments during Ansari's farewell function in the Parliament Library auditorium. Ramesh criticized the Prime Minister and his allies for discussing insults directed at Constitutional authorities while engaging in what he deemed as petty behavior.
The recent incident involving TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee occurred during an impromptu skit outside Parliament, where he mimicked Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. Opposition MPs, including Rahul Gandhi, captured the act on video, leading to criticism from Dhankhar and the filing of a complaint against Banerjee at a police station in the national capital.
