Modi calls Dhankar, expresses 'great pain over abject theatrics' of MPs

NEW DELHI: Vice President President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday said that he received a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during which the latter expressed "great pain over the abject theatrics of some MPs".

In a post on X, Dhankhar said: "Received a telephone call from the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi Ji. He expressed great pain over the abject theatrics of some 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.

"I told him - 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."

On Tuesday, the Rajya Sabha chairman expressed disapproval of suspended Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee mocking him during a protest at Parliament premises, saying that the mimicry was “ridiculous” and “unacceptable”.

Banerjee, surronded by the other suspended MPs at Parliament's Makar Dwar, was seen mimicking the Vice President while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was purportedly seen filming the Trinamool Congress MP using his mobile phone.

As the House reconvened at 12 noon after being adjourned, Dhankhar took strong note of the incident and said: “Office of Chairman, Rajya Sabha and Office of Speaker is very different. Political parties will have their cross currents, they will have exchanges, but imagine a senior leader of your party, video graphing another member of another party.

"Mimicry of the Chairman, mimicry of Speaker. How ridiculous, how shameful, how unacceptable.”