NDA MPs stand during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha to express respect for Chairman Dhankhar, slam opposition over mimicry incident

New Delhi: NDA MPs in Rajya Sabha stood at their seats on Wednesday during the Question Hour to express their respect for Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and to protest against the opposition over the mimicry incident yesterday in the Parliament premises.

Referring to Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee mimicking the Rajya Sabha Chairman and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi capturing it on his mobile camera on Tuesday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said NDA MPs strongly condemn it.

He alleged that opposition parties had "insulted" the Prime Minister and also the President for her her tribal origins.

"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 said.

He said that the opposition members were repeatedly insulting those on constitutional posts.

"First, they insulted the Prime Minister because he come from a poor family, belongs to OBC community. They kept doing so even after he became the Prime Minister. Later, the President of India was insulted, she is from the tribal community."

"You are kisan putra, first time a person from 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 also raised the slogan "Uprashtrapati ka apman, nahi sahega Hindustan, Constitution ka apman, nahi sahega Hindustan."

Joshi said the President has also condemned the incident.

"The President has said that 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. ... the people of India expect to uphold it," the minister said.

He said the Lok Sabha Speaker has also condemned the incident.

The House proceeded with the Question Hour with the NDA members standing. However, after some time, an emotional Dhankhar asked them to resume their seats, saying he is touched by their gesture as custodian of the institution. (ANI)