Great gesture: TMC's Kalyan Banerjee thanks Dhankhar for birthday wishes, days after mimicry row

Kolkata: TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee on Friday lauded Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s “great gesture” of wishing him on his birthday, days after the MP’s mimicry of the Rajya Sabha chairman snowballed into a political storm.

Banerjee also stressed the importance of moving forward, leaving behind past misunderstandings.

"It is indeed a great effort and gesture by the Honourable vice president to wish me on my birthday. I am truly overwhelmed that he spoke to me and my wife and invited us for dinner at his place," Banerjee, who turned 67 on Thursday, told PTI.

"Life must always move on, leaving behind past misunderstandings," the Srirampore MP said, when asked if Dhankhar’s gesture could improve relations between the two.

The Trinamool Congress MP had also expressed gratitude to Dhankhar on social media on Thursday for his birthday greetings.

Controversy erupted last month after Banerjee mimicked Dhankhar during an opposition protest on the Parliament stairs, detesting the suspension of over 140 MPs. The act was video-recorded by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Banerjee’s actions drew strong condemnation from the BJP.

Dhankhar, who is also a senior advocate, had then said in the House that he would not tolerate any disrespect to Parliament or the constitutional post of the vice president.

Banerjee later asserted that mimicry is a form of expression, and the right to dissent and protest is a fundamental right.