A confrontation arose in the Rajya Sabha between Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan.
Following the altercation between Dhankhar and Bachchan, the opposition staged a walkout in protest. The episode underlined rising dissatisfaction among Opposition members with the Rajya Sabha's processes, notably how senior members are addressed by the Chair.
Jaya Bachchan, a senior politician and renowned actor, voiced her displeasure with the tone used by Chairman Dhankhar when granting her the floor to speak. She insisted that despite being a celebrity, she deserved to be treated with the same respect as any other Member of Parliament.
In response to Bachchan's objections, Chairman Dhankhar stressed the importance of maintaining decorum in the House. He reminded Bachchan and other members that all parliamentarians, regardless of their status or background, must adhere to parliamentary protocols and respect the Chair.
The incident was further aggravated when the microphone of Leader of the Opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge, was switched off as he attempted to speak. Bachchan expressed her discontent over what she perceived as a breach of parliamentary tradition.
Despite the backlash, Dhankhar defended his actions, asserting that no member, regardless of their seniority or reputation, has the right to undermine the authority of the Chair. He reiterated that the Rajya Sabha should not be reduced to a source of disruption, but should function with dignity and respect.
After the walkout, Jaya Bachchan spoke to reporters, expressing her frustration not only with the Chairman's tone but also with the broader conduct in the Rajya Sabha. She highlighted instances of unparliamentary language used by members of the Treasury benches, which she claimed went unchecked.
"'You are a nuisance', 'Budhiheen' (stupid), all these words are also spoken by Treasury benches," the Samajwadi Party MP alleged.
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