Samajwadi Party MP and veteran actor Jaya Bachchan stirred a political controversy in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday by questioning the naming of Operation Sindoor, suggesting it was insensitive to the victims of the recent Pahalgam terror attack. Her remarks triggered sharp reactions from BJP members and escalated into a heated exchange on the floor of the House.
Addressing the upper house, Bachchan began by expressing her condolences to the families of those killed in the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. She described the assault as surreal and deeply disturbing: “It looks like fiction to me… the way they (terrorists) came and killed so many people, and no action was taken. It was unreal.”
Taking issue with the naming of the military response, Operation Sindoor, she remarked: “I must congratulate you (the ruling party) on appointing such creative writers for these grand names. Why call it ‘Sindoor’? The sindoor has been wiped off the foreheads of women whose husbands were killed.”
Her comments prompted immediate protests from BJP MPs, with interruptions forcing Bachchan to raise her voice. Rajya Sabha member Surendra Singh Nagar, who was presiding over the session, reminded her to address the Chair, stating: “Whatever you say will go on record.”
Visibly upset, Bachchan responded, “Either you speak or I will speak. I will not allow this. When you speak, I never interrupt. When a woman speaks, I never interrupt. So please, mind your tongue.”
As tensions escalated, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, seated beside Bachchan, attempted to defuse the situation. However, her effort was met with a curt reply: “Priyanka, don’t control me,” drawing an awkward smile from Chaturvedi.
Bachchan also criticized the government for what she termed an intelligence failure, asserting: “You have destroyed the faith and trust of the people to whom you made promises.”
Her comments on the operation’s name drew condemnation from the BJP. Party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla told NDTV: “Just see their mindset. Jaya Bachchan ji, the terrorists destroyed sindoor, but sindoor is not just an adornment; it symbolizes strength and resilience.”
He added that the name Operation Sindoor was intended to send a powerful message: “You wipe off sindoor, and we will wipe you out. And that’s exactly what was done.”
The name of the operation, derived from the vermilion worn by Hindu women as a symbol of marriage, was reportedly chosen to honor the memory of those women who lost their husbands in the attack.
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