Expressing concern over an MP mimicking Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman Dhankar, the latter termed the act as “shameful” and “ridiculous,” labeling it as “unacceptable.” The Upper House witnessed several disruptions as Opposition members continued to raise a din over the breach of Parliament issue.

When the Rajya Sabha assembled at 2 pm in the post-lunch period, Dhankhar referred to mimicry made of the Lok Sabha Speaker and also of the Rajya Sabha chairman by an MP in the Parliament complex.

“You are not aware of the kind of response that is against this institution in the minds of the people, and we had the occasion to see the lowest level.

“Imagine what must be going through my heart when your senior leader videographs a Member of Parliament mocking the institution of the chairman... Don’t judge my background as that of a farmer,” the chairman said, attracting the attention of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram. The institution of the chairman, he added, has been ravaged, and that too by a political party that has ruled for so long.

“A member of Parliament videographing another one, for what? I suffered, I tell you, on Instagram. Mr Chidambaram (who was present in the House), your party put out a video that was later withdrawn; it was shameful to me. You used Twitter, the official handle of the spokesperson, to demean me, insult me, insult my background as a farmer, insult my position as a Jat, insult my position as chairman,” Dhankhar said.

Soon after the house met at noon, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar rebuked senior Congress member Digvijaya Singh for causing disorder and asked him to take his seat.

“I saw some time ago on TV channels... There is no limit to falling. I saw a senior leader of your party videographing the unparliamentary behaviour of another MP. He is even a bigger leader than you. I can only wish for good sense to prevail,” he said, adding, “There must be some limit... At least spare some places.”

“The issue is that the office of the chairman of the Rajya Sabha and the office of the Speaker are very different. Political parties will have their cross-currents; they will have exchanges, but imagine a senior leader of your party videographing another member of a different party. Mimicry of the chairman, mimicry of the speaker... How ridiculous, how shameful, how unacceptable,” he said.

As Opposition members continued demanding a reply from the Union Home Minister on the Parliament security breach incident of December 13, the House was repeatedly adjourned.

The opposition MPs have been demanding a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah on the Parliament security breach issue and seeking the revocation of the suspension of opposition members in the house. As many as 46 MPs of the Rajya Sabha have, so far, been suspended for unruly behaviour and for disrupting the proceedings of the house.

The opposition benches wore a deserted look on Tuesday. The Congress had only a few members, including Digvijaya Singh and Deependar Hooda, in attendance, while some MPs from the TMC and the DMK were also present.

As the officially listed papers were being laid on the table at the start of the proceedings, they rose in their places, shouting slogans, and demanding that Shah come to the House and give a statement on the security breach.

They also protested against the unprecedented number of MPs being suspended for demanding a statement from the government, while the BJP MP who had given the intruders a pass to enter Parliament continued to remain in the House.

Chairman Dhankhar did not allow any one of them to speak and declared that the four notices he had received under Rule 267 did not merit admittance. A notice under Rule 267 calls for the suspension of the business of the day to take up discussion on the issue being raised.