People holding constitutional posts have failed to fulfil their obligations, and are indulging in politics using “caste, region and occupation as their shield”, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said on Thursday – an apparent reference to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar amid an ongoing tussle between the Opposition and government over the suspension of 146 MPs during the winter session of Parliament.

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Speaking at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, Kharge also slammed the Union government for “arbitrarily passing important bills without discussion and debate” and alleged a conspiracy to “convert Parliament into a platform” for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Speaking at the CWC meeting, Kharge said: “The biggest challenge is that people holding constitutional posts, who are responsible for providing protection to the Opposition MPs, are themselves becoming a part of party politics and doing politics using caste, region and occupation as their shield. He has failed to fulfil his obligations under the Constitution. The whole country is watching it.”

While the Congress chief did not name anyone, his remarks came two days after Vice President Dhankhar took strong exception of suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee allegedly mimicking him and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi recording the act.

On Tuesday, video clips of Banerjee ostensibly mimicking Dhankhar, on the steps of the new Parliament building, were aired on television and circulated on social media platforms, triggering a political row. Gandhi was seen filming the act as the MPs gathered to protest against a spate of suspensions from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

“I had suffered, I tell you. On Instagram, Mr Chidambram, your party put a video which was withdrawn later on. That was a shame to me. You used official Twitter (now X) handle of the spokesperson to demean me, insult me, insult my background as a farmer, my position as a Jat, insult my position as a Chairman,” Dhankhar told senior Congress leader P Chidambaram in the Upper House.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Dhankhar to convey his “pain”, and President Droupadi Murmu stressed that protests should not cross the “norms of dignity and courtesy”. Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla also met Dhankhar and said the Opposition MP’s conduct was “demeaning”.

Amid growing criticism, Banerjee on Wednesday said his intention was not to hurt anyone. He, however, said mimicry is not an offence and alleged the BJP is “trying to change the main issue which is whether suspension of opposition MPs was right”.

At the CWC meeting, Kharge accused the BJP of strangling democracy and alleged a “conspiracy to convert Parliament into a platform for the ruling party”.

“Our example of the largest democracy in the world is in crisis. The whole country is seeing that the BJP is strangling democracy by arbitrarily passing important bills without discussion and debate. There is a conspiracy going on to convert Parliament into a platform for the ruling party,” Kharge, who is the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, said.

“The way 143 MPs (by the end of the session, the figure rose to 146) of our INDIA bloc were suspended in both the Houses in the current Parliament session is unfortunate. The Modi government is working against the dignity of Parliament by passing all the important bills in the absence of the Opposition,” he added.

The Congress chief further accused the BJP of trying to take over institutions such as the Election Commission.

“By trying to take over institutions like the Election Commission, the government has put the Constitution, Parliament and democracy in danger. The Opposition gave full cooperation in the Parliament session. But after the incident in Parliament on December 13, the Opposition MPs were demanding a statement from the home minister and a comprehensive discussion in both the Houses on the issue, which the government made a question of prestige,” he added, referring to last week’s security breach in Parliament.

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Meanwhile, the BJP slammed the Opposition. “An investigation into the security breach is going on; the Opposition does not want the House to function… Does (Congress leader) Rahul Gandhi support all this?…” Union minister Pralhad Joshi said.