'What will PM Modi say on insulting his political opponents in last 20 years'

NEW DELHI: Amid the controversy over the mimicry incident of Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications, Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday asked for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's response over insulting his political opponents in last 20 years and said that BJP leaders are fuelling the mimicry row to divert attention from real issues.

The remarks came after Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday revealed the details of his telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Modi, where the latter mentioned that he had been at the receiving end of such insults for twenty years and counting.

In this regard, Jairam Ramesh shared a video on X (former Twitter) where PM Modi is targetting senior Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

"The Prime Minister has said that he has been suffering insults for the last twenty years. But what will he say about the way he has insulted his political opponents and used abusive and indecent language against them in the last 20 years? This is their cliched way of diverting attention from the real issue. The controversy erupted after suspended Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee, during the protest with other suspended MPs at Parliament's Makar Dwar, was seen mimicking Vice Presiden Jagdeep Dhankhar, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was seen filming the Trinamool MP using his phone. Hitting out at the media for not discussing the suspension of members extensively, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that the media is entirely focused on showing the mimicry incident and not highlighting the pain and agony of the suspended MPs, adding that What can be done if the "media is totally running on one line".

Addressing reporters in New Delhi, Rahul Gandhi said, "MPs were sitting there, I shot their video. My video is on my phone. The media is showing it. Nobody has said anything.150 of our MPs have been thrown out (of the House) but there is no discussion on that in the media. There is no discussion on Adani, no discussion on Rafale, no discussion on unemployment."

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dialled Jagdeep Dhankhar to express his anguish over the theatrics of a member in the 'sacred' Parliament complex.

Taking to his official handle on social media handle X, Vice President Dhankhar said he received a telephone call from Prime Minister Modi during which he said he had been at the receiving end of such insults for twenty years and counting but doing the same to a Constitutional office in the Parliament was unfortunate.

Replying to Prime Minister Modi, the Rajya Sabha Chairman said none of the insults will make him change his path adding that he is committed to upholding the values that he holds dear."I told him- Mr. 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," Dhankhar posted.

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".