TMC’s Kalyan Banerjee impersonates VP Dhankar again, this time in Bengal; says “I will do it a thousand times” – Firstpost

Suspended Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee has once again “insulted” Rajya Sabha Speaker and Deputy Speaker Jagdeep Dhankar and claimed that he would continue to imitate Dhankhar “a thousand times”, calling him “ form of art.”

Speaking at an event in Serampore, West Bengal, Banerjee said he would do it a thousand times and it was his fundamental right to do so.

“I’m going to continue to do the mimicry. It’s an art form. If necessary, I will do it a thousand times. I have all the fundamental rights to express my views. You can put me in prison. I will not back down,” reports one India today Banerjee was quoted as saying.

He also slammed Dhankhar for getting upset over a “trivial issue”.

A massive political row erupted a week ago after Banerjee was seen imitating Dhankar as opposition MPs, who were protesting outside Parliament, in Makar Dwar, against the mass suspension of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, burst out laughing. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was seen dropping the TMC MP on phone imitating the Rajya Sabha chairman.

WATCH: Rahul Gandhi films Cong MP Kalyan Banerjee imitating Jagdeep Dhankar, RS president calls it ‘ridiculous, shameful’

Upset by the incident, Dhankhar issued a statement expressing his pain and stating that he could not tolerate any insult to Parliament and the position of the Vice President of India.

He also said that his position as Vice President of India had been insulted by opposition members. He also claimed that it was an insult to his origin as a Jat, his caste and as someone from a farming family.

President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed dismay over the incident.

Kalyan Banerjee’s controversies

Facing heavy criticism, Banerjee, a former lawyer turned politician, made it clear last week that he did not intend to harm anyone through his actions within the parliamentary complex.

Thanks to her history of derogatory remarks against former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Dhankhar during her tenure as West Bengal Governor, Banerjee also earned the nickname “loose cannon” from from his political opponents.

A staunch supporter of West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, Kalyan Banerjee became a member of the State Legislative Assembly in 2001. Having served as a thrice MP from Serampore Lok Sabha seat, he first gained notoriety in 2009. for criticizing Buddhadeb Bhattacharya’s time at the city’s cultural center, Nandan.

In 2012, when the TMC withdrew its support to the Congress-led UPA government, Banerjee engaged in a verbal spat with the then Union minister Anand Sharma over the issue of allowing foreign direct investment (FDI).

At the time of demonetization, Banerjee, during protests outside the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) office in Kolkata, made controversial remarks against Prime Minister Modi, leading to widespread condemnation.

With the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections just months away, Banerjee sparked controversy by invoking Goddess Sita and Lord Ram while criticizing the BJP over the Hathras incident in Uttar Pradesh. The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the BJP have vehemently criticized Banerjee, demanding her immediate arrest for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.

When Dhankar was governor of West Bengal, the state government frequently clashed with him. On many occasions, Banerjee, along with other party leaders, led protests against the Raj Bhavan. He even urged TMC workers to file a complaint against Dhankhar with the police, suggesting that legal action be initiated once he ceases to be the governor of the state.

With the contribution of agencies