'Priyanka, don’t control me': Jaya Bachchan scolds MP during fiery speech on Operation Sindoor

The incident occurred when Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, seated beside the Jaya Bachchan, tried to calm her down with a gesture. (Image credit: Sansad TV)

A fiery moment unfolded in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday as Samajwadi Party MP and veteran actor Jaya Bachchan publicly scolded Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi during a debate on Operation Sindoor, India’s retaliatory strike following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.

Bachchan, who was visibly upset over the naming of the operation, said, “Sindoor toh ujad gaya (sindoor was destroyed),” referring to the Hindu symbol of marriage and the loss suffered by the victims’ families. As she addressed the treasury benches, she was repeatedly interrupted. “Either you speak or I will speak… When a woman speaks, I never interrupt. So please mind your tongue,” Bachchan retorted.

The tension escalated when Chaturvedi, seated beside the actor, attempted to calm her down with a gesture. “Priyanka, don’t control me,” Bachchan snapped, drawing laughter from Chaturvedi and others in the House.

Watch: Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan says, "...I must congratulate you (Ruling Party) , for appointing such writers who give such grand names. But why did you name it 'Sindoor'? The sindoor has been wiped off the foreheads of women whose husbands were killed..."

(Video… pic.twitter.com/U9vFUJ6MA4

— IANS (@ians_india) July 30, 2025

The veteran actor continued her criticism of the government’s handling of the Pahalgam attack, questioning the intelligence failure and the promises made post-abrogation of Article 370. “You have destroyed the faith and trust of the people you made promises to,” she said.

The exchange has since gone viral, with Bachchan’s assertiveness and refusal to be placated becoming a focal point of the debate.

The MP also questioned the government’s intelligence failure and its promises post-abrogation of Article 370. “You have destroyed the faith of the people. The families will never forgive you,” she said, adding that the attack felt “unreal,” like something out of fiction.

Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla defended the operation’s name, saying, “Sindoor is not just for embellishment; it is also a symbol of strength. The name was chosen to send a message: you wipe off sindoor, we will destroy you.”