On Wednesday, during the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, members of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) stood at their seats in a collective expression of respect for Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and as a form of protest against the opposition following the mimicry incident that occurred the previous day in the Parliament premises.
Pralhad Joshi, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, condemned the act where Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee mimicked the Rajya Sabha Chairman, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi capturing the incident on his mobile camera. Joshi strongly criticized the actions of the opposition, alleging that they had insulted not only the Prime Minister but also the President, particularly highlighting comments related to her tribal origins.
Expressing his dismay, Joshi stated, “A member of the other house, who insulted your constitutional post…Rahul Gandhi…we strongly condemn insult to you and to your constitutional post. It is not good to defame any community. I am in Parliament for 20 years, it has happened for the first time to this level that there is no limit. I strongly condemn it.”
He emphasized that the opposition had been consistently insulting individuals holding constitutional posts. Joshi pointed out instances where the Prime Minister, due to his humble background, and the President, due to her tribal community background, were subjected to insults.
Addressing Chairman Dhankhar emotionally, Joshi declared, “You are kisan putra, the first time a person from the Jat community has reached this level; they are insulting the constitutional post of Vice President…in your respect and in protest against them, we will stand (during Question Hour).”
The treasury benches echoed their disapproval, raising the slogan “Uprashtrapati ka apman, nahi sahega Hindustan, Constitution ka apman, nahi sahega Hindustan” (Insult to the Vice President, India will not tolerate; Insult to the Constitution, India will not tolerate).
Joshi highlighted that both the President and the Lok Sabha Speaker had condemned the incident. The President expressed dismay over the humiliation of the Vice President within the Parliament complex. Despite the emotional display of solidarity, Chairman Dhankhar eventually requested the NDA members to resume their seats, acknowledging their gesture as custodians of the institution.