Entire Modi ecosystem being galvanised on 'so-called mimicry non-issue': Congress

New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday said the "entire Modi ecosystem" is now being galvanised on the "so-called mimicry non-issue" while it remains silent on how a BJP MP "facilitated entry of two intruders" into Lok Sabha and on the suspension of over 140 MPs. The opposition party hit back at the BJP for its criticism of a TMC leader's mimicry of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, saying a "desperate attempt" is being made to divert attention from the unprecedented suspension of MPs by raising this issue.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh slammed the prime minister for the criticism over the mimicry issue and alleged that Narendra Modi, while bidding farewell to Hamid Ansari, who was retiring as vice president and chairman of Rajya Sabha after a long 10-year tenure, mocked Ansari, reducing his identity to his religion.

"It was August 10, 2017 during the farewell to Shri. Hamid Ansari, who was retiring as Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha after a long ten year tenure. It was then most shockingly that the Prime Minister mocked Mr. Ansari, one of India's most distinguished diplomats, reducing his identity to his religion and in effect alleging that his entire professional and political achievements were because of his religious identity," he said in a post on X.


"The PM pretty much sang the same song in the evening farewell function in Parliament Library auditorium as well. Such a petty PM and his drum-beaters talking of insults being heaped at Constitutional authorities are hypocrites and opportunists of the worst kind," Ramesh said.


This is nothing but an absolutely pathetic attempt to divert attention from the "undemocratic suspension of 144 MPs from Parliament and the shocking security breach in Lok Sabha on December 13th", he said.

The Congress' attack came after Modi called Dhankhar and expressed great pain over the "abject theatrics" of some MPs in Parliament complex.

Referring to the mimicry issue, President Droupadi Murmu also said she was dismayed at the manner in which Dhankhar was "humiliated" in Parliament complex.

In an earlier post on X, Ramesh said, "The entire Modi ecosystem now being galvanised on the so-called mimicry non-issue, while it remains silent on the real issue of why and how a BJP MP from Mysuru facilitated entry of two intruders into Lok Sabha on December 13th ' who are now charged under the anti-terror law UAPA."

"The entire ecosystem is also silent on the summary suspension of 142 MPs for making a perfectly legitimate demand," he said.

Modi has stated 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, Ramesh asked in a post in Hindi.

This is their oft-repeated way of diverting attention from the real issue, the Congress general secretary said and shared a video montage of Modi's speeches in which he attacking political opponents.

In yet another post on X, Ramesh alleged that a desperate attempt is being made to divert attention away from the unprecedented suspension of MPs by raising the issue of 'mimicry'.

"Remember who mimicked whom and that too in the Lok Sabha?" Ramesh said and shared a video clip of Modi's speech in Lok Sabha after Rahul Gandhi had hugged him in 2018.

A political row broke out on Tuesday after Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee derisively mimicked Dhankhar during the opposition's protest on the stairs of Parliament against the MPs' suspension, drawing strong condemnation from the ruling BJP.

The BJP also attacked the opposition over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi making a video of the performance by Banerjee.

As many as 49 more opposition lawmakers were suspended from Lok Sabha on Tuesday for unruly behaviour, taking the total number of MPs facing action in both Houses of Parliament to 141 and prompting the INDIA coalition to announce nationwide anti-government protests on Friday.