LS Speaker Om Birla meets RS Chairman, expresses concerns, anguish over mimicry incident

New Delhi [India], December 20 (ANI): Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla met Vice President and Chairman, of Rajya Sabha Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday and conveyed his deep concerns and anguish about serious misdemeanour by MPs in Parliament complex demeaning and denigrating the constitutional office of Vice President.

"Conveyed my deep concerns and anguish @VPIndia and Hon'ble Chairman, Rajyasabha about serious misdemeanor by Hon'ble MPs in Parliament complex demeaning and denigrating the constitutional office of Vice President. It is shocking that one MP chose to amplify this ignoble act by video graphing. This is a new low and no one believing in democracy will ever appreciate it" the Lok Sabha speaker said in his post on X. 

Banerjee had mimicked Vice President Dhankhar during the opposition's protest on the stairs of Parliament on Tuesday against the suspension of MPs, drawing strong condemnation from the ruling BJP.

Leaders of the Jat Community also held a protest in support of Vice President Dhankhar in the national capital.

A leader belonging to the Jat community, Chaudhary Surendar Solanki told ANI, "We have called a meeting for our leaders. We'll decide that either the suspended TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee should apologize to the Vice President as soon as possible or else we'll call upon a village council to protest against him".

Meanwhile, expressing concern over the mimicry incident of Jagdeep Dhankhar, President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said that she was "dismayed to see the manner in which the respected Vice President was humiliated".

Taking to her official handle on social media handle X, the President said that the people of India are proud of the country’s Parliamentary tradition and expect them to uphold it.

"I was dismayed to see the manner in which our respected Vice President was humiliated in the Parliament complex. Elected representatives must be free to express themselves, but their expression should be within the norms of dignity and courtesy. That has been the Parliamentary tradition we are proud of, and the people of India expect them to uphold it," the President posted on X.

Meanwhile, members of Parliament of INDIA bloc parties, including those suspended, are staging a protest in front of the Gandhi statue in the Parliament premises on Wednesday morning over the suspension of 141 Opposition MPs and the 'security breach' incident.

Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, party President Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi joined the protest against the suspension of 141 Opposition MPs.

Speaking to ANI, Kharge said that the party will continue their protest until the suspension of MPs is revoked.

"They want to suspend everyone and run a dictatorship by removing everyone from the house, this won't work in a democracy, this is why we will go to the people. We will continue to protest till they don't revoke the suspension and make a statement in the house and initiate a discussion in the house. I am awaiting a response to my letter from the Vice President," he said.

Hitting out at the ruling BJP, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said, "This is going to be the trend. It's my way or the highway. If you don't fall in line, we will throw you out because we have the majority. We control both the Houses. They want to turn the Parliament into a stamping House."

The Opposition MPs raised the slogans of "save democracy" while protesting against the suspension of 141 MPs for the winter session of Parliament.

The protesters carried placards, reading, "Save Democracy" and "Do not kill Democracy".

An unprecedented number of MPs, a total of 141, were suspended from Parliament on Tuesday. (ANI)