New Delhi:

Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan has demanded an apology from Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar after a contentious session in the upper house of Parliament. The incident arose from a heated exchange involving remarks made by BJP MP Ghanshyam Tiwari against Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge.

During a session where the Opposition MPs were vociferously demanding that Mr Tiwari’s comments be expunged from the record, Ms Bachchan voiced her objections to Mr Dhankhar’s conduct. She criticized the Chairman for his tone and his decision to switch off the microphone when Mallikarjun Kharge attempted to speak. Bachchan, clearly upset, asserted, “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.”

Mr Bachchan further condemned Dhankhar’s use of what she described as “unparliamentary” language, including terms like “nuisance” and “Buddhiheen” (which translates to “mindless”). “How can you do this? You have to allow the Leader of the Opposition to speak. If you are not going to allow that person to speak, if he is not going to be heard, then what are we doing here?” she argued. “The way things are being spoken in Parliament these days is unprecedented. I need an apology for saying ‘I don’t care’. He has to care… he is the Chair and he has to care.”

The Samajwadi Party MP was supported by several prominent women MPs, including Sonia Gandhi, who backed her claims against the Rajya Sabha Chairman. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi highlighted Ms Bachchan’s extensive experience, stating, “She comes with vastly more experience than the Vice President himself. He cannot disrespect a Member of Parliament.”

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Dola Sen also expressed support, noting, “She has not come here as a celebrity. She has come here as an elected Member of Parliament.”

After the fiery exchange opposition MPs led by Congress veteran Sonia Gandhi walked out to support Ms Bachchan, and underline their claims they were not being allowed to speak during House debates.

Opposition MPs – led by Sonia Gandhi and the Trinamool Congress’ Derek O’Brien – then gathered outside Parliament, flanking Ms Bachchan in a significant statement, and several spoke on her behalf.

Ms Bachchan had prefaced her remarks (before she was cut short by Mr Dhankhar and told, repeatedly, to “take your seat”) by introducing herself as “Jaya Amitabh Bachchan” – a swipe at a related row with Mr Dhankhar that triggered sharp exchanges of its own 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 Mr Dhankhar waved his hands and told her to sit down.

Veteran actor and politician Jaya Bachchan took a strong objection after Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman, Harivansh Narayan Singh, addressed her using her husband’s name yesterday.

“Shrimati Jaya Amitabh Bachchan ji, please,” Harivansh Narayan said – calling upon her to speak in the House. 

” Jaya Bachchan respinded, “Sir, sirf Jaya Bachchan bolte to kaafi hojata (It would’ve been enough to call me Jaya Bachchan).”

Harivansh Narayan Singh then pointed out that her name is officially registered as Jaya Amitabh Bachchan in Parliament’s records.

“Your full name was written here, I just repeated the same,” Mr Singh said.

“This is something new, that women will be recognised by the name of their husbands. They (women) have no existence or achievements of their own,” Ms Bachchan said.

Watch: “It’s a very painful incident and we should not bring politics into the matter,” says Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan on the death of the UPSC student in Old Rajinder Nagar pic.twitter.com/4928QcZoNS

— IANS (@ians_india) July 29, 2024

Ms Bachchan later addressed the deaths of three UPSC aspirants at a Delhi’s coaching centre.

“It’s a very painful incident and we should not bring politics into the matter,” she said.

Three students drowned in the flooded basement of a coaching centre in east Delhi last week.

The incident has sparked a protest by students, who have blamed civic negligence for the incident. A political blame-game has also begun, with the BJP targeting the Aam Aadmi Party, which is in power in Delhi and also controls MCD.

Actor and Rajya Sabha MP Jaya Bachchan on Wednesday hit out at the Centre over the Union Budget 2024, claiming that its had nothing to offer to the film industry.

Talking to NDTV outside the Parliament, the Samajwadi Party leader said that Budget did not offer anything to the film industry. “Actors, all actors. Hum logon ke liye kuch bhi nahi hai. Humari industry ke liye kuch nahi hai. (There is nothing in the Budget for us. There’s nothing for our industry.) Nothing for the country,” she said.

For 2024-25, the government has allocated Rs 4,342 crore to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB).

A total of Rs 36.93 crore was allocated for Art and Culture as compared Rs 45 crore allocated last year.

The Film and Television Institute of India, Pune (FTII) was given Rs 73.47 last year and has been allocated Rs 87.11 crore in this budget. The Satyajit Ray Film and Television
Institute(SRFTI) in Kolkata will recieve Rs 81 crore while Childrens Films Society of India’s budget has been tripled since last year to Rs 6 crore.

Rs 23 crore has been allocated to the National Film Development Corporation. 

Ahead of the budget, many in the media and entertainment sector had demanded to lower entertainment tax levied on movie tickets. The high taxes have turned away movie goers affecting the bottom line for filmmakers, producers and distributors.