New Delhi: Congress leader Sonia Gandhi led an Opposition walk-out on Friday afternoon in Rajya Sabha in solidarity with Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan’s protest against the way she was introduced by Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar in the Upper house.
Bachchan, a noted actor married to fellow movie star Amitabh Bachchan, was reportedly frequently introduced in the House as 'Jaya Amitabh Bachchan', which she strongly disapproved, NDTV reported.
After walk-out today she told reporters that it was ‘a humiliating experience’, alongside she questioned the treatment of Opposition MPs in the House.
"Whatever is said from the Chair... is allowed. Outside the Chair, the individual is like us.. an MP. I objected to the tone used by the Chair. 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 stood up to speak he (the Chair) switched the mike off..." she was quoted as saying.
Coming down further against Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar, she said: "And, on top of that, every time words that are unparliamentary are used... like 'nuisance', like 'you may be a celebrity but I don't care'. I am not asking him to care! Nobody has ever spoken the way they do now in Parliament. What is the problem? It is so disrespectful to women."
When Bachachan objected to the calling 'Jaya Amitabh Bachchan' this afternoon, Jagdeep Dhankhar responded saying ‘Don’t school me."
Protesting against this, Bachchan stood her ground: "I need an apology from the Chair," before the opposition MPs walked out.
After walk-out, Opposition MPs including Sonia Gandhi Trinamool Congress' Derek O'Brien gathered outside the Parliament flanking Bachchan.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Priyanka Chaturvedi said Bachchan has "vast parliamentary experience... more than the Vice President."
BJP chief and Rajya Sabha MP JP Nadda called the protest "indecent and irresponsible" behaviour, adding that Opposition that aims to weaken the country should apologize.
Earlier on Monday Bachchan had told Dhankhar: "Sir, only Jaya Bachchan would have sufficed", when her name was called as 'Jaya Amitabh Bachchan'.