'Dangerous to be funny' Has India lost its sense of humour?

It is rare for India's politicians to laugh at themselves, but a row over an act of mimicry has exposed the extent of the lack of humour and intolerance of satire in the country's political and public life.

- Amrit Dhillon

Politicians have traded insults over an impersonation of India's vicepresident, Jagdeep Dhankhar, by the opposition MP Kalyan Banerjee. He had mimicked Dhankhar's voice, walk and mannerisms on the steps of parliament last month during protests at his suspension from the lower house - along with 142 other opposition MPs - for alleged unruly behaviour.

Dhankhar, who is also chairman of the upper house of parliament, called Banerjee's performance, caught on video, "shameful, ridiculous and unacceptable".

The prime minister, Narendra Modi, reportedly phoned Dhankhar to express his pain over the incident, while Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) ministers attacked Banerjee for abusing the vice-president on the steps of the sacred "temple of democracy".

Banerjee insists that he has a right to freedom of expression and has called mimicry an art form. "If someone does not understand humour, if someone does not have a cultured mind, I am helpless," Banerjee said. "The arrogance of the BJP is so great it has lost its sense of humour. Humour is also a form of protest. Politics doesn't always have to be about fighting and arguing." Humour in India is dichotomous.