Opposition parties led by the Congress leader Sonia Gandhi staged a walkout in solidarity with Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan. The walkout was prompted by an intense exchange between Bachchan and the Rajya Sabha Chairperson, Jagdeep Dhankhar, over what she perceived as his disrespectful tone towards certain members of Parliament.
The confrontation began earlier in the day after remarks made by BJP MP Ghanshyam Tiwari against Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge. Jaya Bachchan then rose in the House to voice her displeasure with Dhankhar’s tone while addressing lawmakers.
She also criticised the Chairman over his decision to switch off the microphone when Mallikarjun Kharge attempted to speak. Bachchan said, “We are not school children and some of us are even senior citizens. I was upset with the tone… especially when the Leader of the Opposition (Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge) stood up to speak he (the Chair) switched the mic off. This is unacceptable.”
She was then interrupted by Dhankhar, who retorted, “You may be a celebrity, but you have to understand the decorum of the House.”
Bachchan, who is well-known not only as an actor but also as a seasoned politician, responded with a pointed remark: “Sir, I am Jaya Amitabh Bachchan,” she said, drawing chuckles from some members. “I am an actor, and I understand body language and expression. Forgive me, but your tone is not acceptable,” she insisted, receiving applause from the opposition benches.
“Jayaji, you have earned a great reputation. But you know the actor is subject to the director. I don’t want a schooling,” Dhankhar responded, attempting to shut down the discussion.
Following the walkout, Jaya Bachchan addressed the media, describing the incident as “a humiliating experience.” She expressed her frustration over what she described as the discriminatory treatment of opposition MPs compared to those from the ruling BJP.
“Whatever is said from the Chair is allowed. But outside the Chair, the individual is like us… an MP. I objected to the tone used by the Chair. We are not school children, and some of us are even senior citizens. I was upset with the tone, especially when the Leader of the Opposition (Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge) stood up to speak, and the Chair switched the mike off…” she said.
Bachchan was particularly incensed by what she considered to be derogatory language used in the House. “Every time words that are unparliamentary are used… like ‘nuisance,’ like ‘you may be a celebrity, but I don’t care.’ I am not asking him to care! Nobody has ever spoken the way they do now in Parliament. What is the problem? It is so disrespectful to women,” she stated.
Demanding an apology, Bachchan was unequivocal: “I need an apology from the Chair,” she declared.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh told reporters that opposition MPs had been consistently insulted in Parliament and denied opportunities to speak.
Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Priyanka Chaturvedi highlighted Bachchan’s extensive parliamentary experience, noting that it exceeded that of the Vice President. Dola Sen of the Trinamool Congress echoed these sentiments, stressing that Bachchan, as a four-time MP, deserved respect.
The opposition’s protest provoked a furious backlash from BJP leaders. Rajya Sabha MP and BJP chief JP Nadda condemned the walkout as “indecent and irresponsible” behaviour. “The opposition wants to weaken the country and should apologise,” he asserted in the now mostly empty House.
Nadda went further, accusing the opposition of lowering political standards. “It is clear that their standards have fallen in politics… from opposing a party and individual, now they are opposing the country. They want to divide the country,” he claimed.
Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed deep disappointment over the day’s events. “Today the mind is distressed… filled with pain. This is not only an insult to the Chair, it is an insult to the democratic values of the country. It is an insult to democracy… it is an insult to the Constitution,” Chouhan lamented. He concluded with a sharp rebuke: “Today it has been proved that the irresponsible opposition is trying to push the country into anarchy. The opposition should apologise… they have shamed the House and the country.”
