The Rajya Sabha witnessed a dramatic walkout led by Sonia Gandhi and other opposition leaders on Friday in support of Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan, following the controversial introduction of Ms Bachchan as ‘Jaya Amitabh Bachchan’ during parliamentary sessions.
This incident marks the second occasion in which Ms Bachchan has voiced her dissatisfaction over being identified by her husband’s name. On Friday, when Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar referred to her in this manner once again, Ms Bachchan demanded an apology, stating, “I need an apology from the Chair.” In response, Dhankhar dismissed her request, saying, “Don’t school me.”
Ms Bachchan, who called the episode “very humiliating” and denounced the disparate treatment of opposition MPs in comparison to their governing party colleagues, used the walkout as a show of support.
Opposition lawmakers gathered outside Parliament after leaving the House to support Ms Bachchan and denounce Dhankhar’s comments. As a four-time MP, Ms Bachchan is deserving of respect, according to MP Dola Sen of the Trinamool Congress, while MP Priyanka Chaturvedi of the Shiv Sena (UBT) supported Ms. Bachchan’s qualifications by emphasising her extensive parliamentary experience.
The BJP officials denounced the protest in the strongest terms possible with their party President JP Nadda labelling it as “indecent and irresponsible” while accusing the opposition of undermining national interest and demanding an apology from them. Furthermore, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan termed the actions as “disrespectful towards democracy” and they went against our constitution.
The Rajya Sabha’s sessions were postponed due to the ensuing agitation, which raised concerns over women’s representation and treatment in Parliament.
