New Delhi/IBNS: Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan and Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar indulged in a verbal spat in the Parliament Friday after the former said the latters tone is not acceptable.
A furious Dhankhar hit back, saying: I dont want a schooling! and told Jaya, You may be a celebrity (but) you have to understand the decorum…
The actor-turned-MP had started her remarks (before she was cut short by Dhankhar and told, repeatedly, to take your seat) by introducing herself as Jaya Amitabh Bachchan – a swipe at a related row with Dhankhar that triggered sharp exchanges of its earlier this week.
Sir, I, Jaya Amitabh Bachchan (to chuckles from some benches), want to say this… I am an actor. I understand body language and expression (to applause) and, forgive me, but your tone is not acceptable. We are colleagues, sir… you may be sitting in the Chair but I remember when I went to school… she said before Dhankhar waved his hands and told her to sit down.
Jayaji, take your seat… take your seat… Dhankhar said repeatedly as the noise level went up in a Rajya Sabha chamber that, new though it may be, has seen many heated battles.
Honourable members… Honourable members… Dhankhar continued, waving restraint at the other side of the House, Please sit… please sit. I know how to deal with it.
The Chair then turned to Jaya and began his counter.
Jagdeep Dhankhar-Jaya Bachchan spar in Rajya Sabha
Jaya Bachchan: ??? ?????? ??? .. ???? ???????? ????? ???, ?????????? ????? ??? … ?? ???? ???? ??????? ??? ???? tone is not acceptable.
Jagdeep Dhankhar: Jaya ji, you have earned a great reputation. You know, an actor is pic.twitter.com/TqRQxX14Ou
IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) August 9, 2024
Jayaji, you have earned a great reputation. (But) you know the actor is subject to the director… you have not seen what I have seen from here (the Chair). Every day… I dont want to repeat, I dont want schooling. I am a person who has gone out of the way … and you say my tone?
No… no… enough of this. No. You cant have it. No… the Rajya Sabha Chairman shouted firmly.
You may be anybody… you may be a celebrity (but) you have to understand the decorum, a by-now furious Dhankhar declared, waving away further protests from both sides of the House.
Nothing doing… no. Not at all… I will not hear it, Dhankar concluded.
After the fiery exchange, opposition MPs led by Congress veteran Sonia Gandhi walked out to support Jaya Bachchan claiming that they were not being allowed to speak during House debates.
Opposition stages walkout:
Opposition MPs, led by Sonia Gandhi and the Trinamool Congresss Derek OBrien, gathered outside Parliament, flanking jaya giving out in a significant statement, and several spoke on her behalf.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh told reporters that opposition MPs had been repeatedly insulted in Parliament and denied a chance to speak.
Shiv Sena (UBT)s Priyanka Chaturvedi pointed out Jaya has vast parliamentary experience… more than the Vice President, while her Trinamool Congress colleague, Dola Sen, said Jaya Bachchan is a four-time MP and deserves respect.
Jaya demands apology:
Speaking to reporters outside the Parliament and flanked by the Opposition, Jaya Bachchan demanded an apology from Dhankar.
We are not school children, the actor said, noting the words used by Dhankar.
He said you may be a celebrity, I do not care. I am not asking him to care. I am saying I am a Member of Parliament. This is my fifth term. I know what I am saying. The way things are being spoken in Parliament these days, nobody has ever spoken before. I want an apology, she told reporters.
#WATCH | On her exchange of words with Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan says, …I objected to the tone used by the Chair. We are not school children. Some of us are senior citizens. I was upset with the tone and especially when the Leader pic.twitter.com/rh8F35pHsM
ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2024
