Sparks fly in Rajya Sabha as Jaya, Dhankhar exchange words

Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan on Friday demanded an apology from Vice President and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankar after a heated exchange of words over BJP MP Ghanshyam Tiwari’s remarks against Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge.

She said, “I objected to the tone used by the Chair. We are not schoolchildren. Some of us are 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 have to allow the Leader of the Opposition to speak...I mean using unparliamentary words every time which I do not want to say in front of you all. He uses words like nuisance, ‘Buddhiheen’” said Samajwadi Party MP

She further said, “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 added

Bachchan was flanked by several other women MPs including Sonia Gandhi. The women MPs back her claims against the RS Chairman.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said, “She (Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan) comes with vastly more experience than the Vice President himself. He cannot disrespect the Member of Parliament.”