West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on December 20 played down the issue of Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar's mimicry by her party's MP, saying it was not meant to be disrespectful.
In the eye of the storm over the mimicry row, Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee also said he never had any intention to hurt or disrespect Dhankhar.
Asked about the mimicry row, Mamata Banerjee said, "We respect everyone. This was not about disrespecting anyone. This should be taken politically and casually. You people would not have known about it if Rahul ji had not recorded it".
She was in the Parliament complex on Wednesday to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi over pending central funds for the State.
Amid the row, Kalyan Banerjee was dropped from the list of leaders accompanying Mamata Banerjee in her meeting with Mr. Modi even though his name had figured on the approved list of people joining her for the appointment.
Also read: Police complaint against TMC MP for mimicry of Vice-President in Parliament
On the mimicry row, Kalyan Banerjee said that he did not intend to hurt anyone but did not offer any apology for the mimicry act which has been described by Dhankhar as an insult to the post of vice-president, farmers and his own community.
"Mimicry is not an offence, they [BJP] are trying to change the main issue which is whether suspension of opposition MPs was right," the TMC MP said and claimed that even Prime Minister Modi has done it in the past.
"Did not have any intention at all to hurt anyone, including the Vice President. I have respect for constitutional positions," he said on Wednesday.
The TMC MP said he might have some differences with Mr. Dhankhar over a few issues but he meant no disrespect for him. He noted that Mr. Dhankhar had been a governor of his home State West Bengal and like him a lawyer.
With 141 opposition MPs suspended from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for disrupting proceedings, many of them held a protest at Parliament's main entrance for lawmakers on Tuesday.
During the protest, Kalyan Banerjee mimicked Dhankhar's mannerisms amid cheers from his colleagues. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was seen shooting a video of the act with his mobile phone.
