Never had intention to hurt anyone, helpless he has taken on his shoulder: MP Kalyan Banerjee on mimicry row

New Delhi, Dec 20

Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee, who is at the centre of the major row for mimicking Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday said that he never took anyone's name in his act at the ‘Mock Parliament’ and if the Rajya Sabha chairman has taken up on his shoulder, “I am really helpless”.

Speaking to the media here outside Parliament, Banerjee said, "I am a Member of the Lok Sabha, and I haven’t watched any Rajya Sabha proceedings. I wasn’t aware of the way the honourable Chairperson speaks in the Rajya Sabha.”

He said, “But I do not why...I have never taken anyone's name in my act at the ‘Mock Parliament’, if he has taken up on his shoulder, I am really helpless.”

He also asked “does he really behave like this in Rajya Sabha, that is my question.”

“I have never any intention to hurt anyone. Dhankhar is also in profession and I have great respect for anyone. He is also an advocate and I am also an advocate. I have great respect for Dhankhar Ji. If he thinks that there is similarity between him and myself, then my question is does he behave in this way in Rajya Sabha,” Banerjee added.

Earlier in the day, President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised the act by the opposition MPs.

In a post on X, the President said, “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.”

Even the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs in Rajya Sabha stood up and took part in the House proceeding on Wednesday to express their support to Dhankhar after Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP Banerjee mimicked him on Tuesday while staging a protest at the Parliament building Makar dwar.

#