'Enough of it': Dhankhar vs Jaya in Rajya Sabha, Sonia Gandhi leads Oppn walkout

Vice President and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday schooled actor-politician Jaya Bachchan. The heated face-off came after the Samajwadi Party MP accused V-P Dhankhar of talking to her in an 'unacceptable' tone. 

While objecting to the Rajya Sabha chairman's tone, she said that she is an artist and understands the body language and expressions of other people. "I am an artist. I understand body language. Your tone is not acceptable," she said. 

Replying to this, Dhankhar said that Jaya Bachchan might be a celebrity but she has to maintain the decorum of the Upper House. He, however, lost his cool when Opposition MPs supported the actor-politician.

"Jaya ji you have earned a great reputation. You know an actor is subject to the director. But everyday, I do not want to repeat myself. Everyday, I don't want to do schooling. You are talking about my tone? Enough of it. You may be anybody. You have to understand the decorum. You can be a celebrity but accept decorum," Jagdeep Dhankhar asserted. 

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Oppn MPs walk out, Jaya Bachchan addresses confrontation with V-P Dhankhar

To add salt to injury, the V-P called her Jaya Amitabh Bachchan, the name to which she has repeatedly objected. After Dhankhar schooled Jaya over her accusations towards him, Opposition members walked out of the Rajya Sabha.

The walkout was led by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. After walking out of the Upper House with Opposition MPs, the actor-politician said on her exchange with the Vice President that her objection was because of the tone used by V-P Dhankhar and that MPs are not school children, with some of them even being senior citizens. 

"I was upset with the tone and especially when the Leader of Opposition stood up to speak, he switched off the mike. How can you do this? You should allow the Leader of Opposition to speak," she said.

Bachchan, whose recent acting role was in the 2023 Karan Johar-directorial Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, accused Dhankhar of using unparliamentary language every time. "You are a nuisance, 'Buddhiheen'. 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," she said.