"Tried to belittle Vice President's image": Pralhad Joshi demands apology from INDIA bloc over mimicry incident of RS chairman

New Delhi [India], December 19 : Demanding an apology from the INDIA bloc over the mimicry incident of Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday said that the opposition members tried to belittle the image of Vice President adding that they are against the tribal and farming communities of the nation.
While expressing concerns in Rajya Sabha over the mimicry incident, Pralhad Joshi said," Leader of Congress, a former Congress President who could not manage his own party affairs was trying to encourage this unfortunate act. This incident has circulated on social media and people are condemning it."
Pralhad Joshi further said that Congress also deliberately insulted President Droupadi Murmu earlier.
"From the beginning, Congress has deliberately been insulting our President, who comes from the tribal community and from day one their party leader in other house have insulted her. This puts a question on their mental state," he said.
"A senior congress leader and former Rajasthan Chief Minister also questioned the visit of Vice President to Rajasthan, when even model code of conduct was not in place. Their party attitude is against kisan (farmers), tribal and Jat communities. Congress and the Ghamandiya alliance should apologise. They tried to belittle the Vice President's image. This is highly condemnable.If little sense prevails in you then you should apologise I condemn the actions of Kalyan Banerjee and Rahul Gandhi," he added.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday expressed his pain over suspended Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee apparently mimicking him during a protest in Parliament premises and said it is "unacceptable" and "the institution of Chairman has been ravaged".
The Chairman, who had earlier expressed his deep concern and anguish over the mimicry, when the House assembled at 2 pm following an adjournment and adjourned it till 3 pm.
"Don't take on my background as a farmer, don't take on my background as a community member. The institution of Chairman has been ravaged and that too by a political party that has gone far so long that a Member of Parliament, a senior one, videographs the other member. For what?," the Chairman said.
The suspended TMC 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.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for "filming and cheering the contemptible act" of the suspended Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee mimicking Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar.
Forty-nine more opposition MPs were suspended from Lok Sabha on Tuesday for 'misconduct" for the remainder of the monsoon session. The total number of MPs suspended from Parliament has now gone up to 141.