"They have turned into jokers", says JP Nadda after TMC's Kalyan Banerjee mimics VP Dhankhar

Basti (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 20 (ANI): After Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee was seen mimicking Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President JP Nadda on Wednesday condemned the Opposition and compared them with "jokers". 

"The public sends the MPs to the Parliament so that they can engage in discussions and debate but they have turned into jokers," Nadda said while addressing a public gathering in Uttar Pradesh's Basti.

As Parliament continues to witness the suspension spree, two more members of Lok Sabha were suspended on Wednesday for the remainder of the winter session.

Lok Sabha MPs from Kerala—Thomas Chazhikadan and AM Arif—were suspended today for misconduct in the Lower House. 

Meanwhile, a total of 143 MPs—97 from Lok Sabha and 46 from Rajya Sabha—were suspended so far for creating a ruckus and disrupting proceedings in both Houses, demanding a statement from Union Minister Amit Shah with regard to the Parliament security breach incident.

Earlier in the day, the opposition MPs, including those suspended, staged a protest in front of the Gandhi statue in the Parliament premises against the bulk suspension.

The BJP President is on a visit to Uttar Pradesh. He inaugurated 'Sansad Khel Mahakumbh' in Basti and is set to lead the 'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra' from Gorakhpur. 

Meanwhile, taking a swipe at the opposition MPs, he said, "They are doing mimicries. You must have seen that an MP is mimicking the Vice President of the country who is sitting in a constitutional position. And Congress's Rahul Gandhi was filming it". 

"Dhankharji is a farmer's son and he represents the backward classes. Although Rahulji keeps playing his 'OBC' tune, doesn't he recall his OBC agenda now? The country cannot tolerate such people," JP Nadda added. 

The suspended Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee, during the protest with other suspended MPs at Parliament's Makar Dwar, was seen mimicking the Vice President, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was seen filming the Trinamool MP using his phone.

Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, voiced his pain over the theatrics by a member in the 'sacred' Parliament complex, calling it 'unfortunate'.

Taking to his official handle on social media handle 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.

"Received a telephone call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji. He expressed great pain over the abject theatrics of some Honourable MPs and that too in the sacred Parliament complex yesterday. He told me that he has been at the receiving end of such insults for twenty years and counting but the fact that it could happen to a Constitutional office like the Vice President of India and that too in the Parliament was unfortunate," VP Dhankhar posted on X.

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.

However, Congress's Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary has denied the allegations saying that no one said that this mimicry was on VP Dhankhar and that he is taking it on himself. 

"Mimicry is an art. No one said this mimicry was on Dhankhar ji. He is accepting it himself. Why is he taking it on himself, no one said his name. Does it suit a person on such a high post to talk about caste?" Chowdhary told ANI. (ANI)