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Jaya Bachchan outside Parliament on Thursday. Picture by Rajesh Kumar
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New Delhi, Aug. 9: Many would be proud to have a brother who rises in life to become the home minister of the country but not if he puts his foot in the mouth like Sushil Kumar Shinde.
Shinde’s bad day — some would say bad taste — in office unfolded today after he had repeated in the Rajya Sabha what he had said in the Lok Sabha yesterday on the Assam violence.
As the new home minister replayed the statement, Jaya Bachchan and others raised objections. BJP’s Balbir Punj compared Shinde to a student “who memorises his subject on the previous night and repeats the same regardless of the questions”.
Shinde looked up from the printed sheet and told Jaya: “Suno, meri behen, suno… yeh gambhir mamla hai, yeh film ka vishay nahin hai (Listen, my sister, listen, this is a serious issue, not the subject of a film).”
The swipe by Shinde, who was yesterday lecturing L.K. Advani on the BJP veteran’s choice of words that had ignited an outburst from Sonia Gandhi, set the Opposition benches on fire. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, seated next to Shinde, too, seemed to have been taken aback.
Jaya, an accomplished actress who is now into her third stint in the Upper House after being re-elected on a Samajwadi Party ticket, asked the Chair, Tariq Anwar: “Is this the way? This is totally unacceptable.”
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Sushil Kumar Shinde |
Shinde did not show any sign of remorse, prompting leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley to intervene. “This is a place where there are achievers from all fields. Ms Jaya Bachchan is a distinguished member of the House and as home minister of India, you cannot taunt her,” Jaitley said.
Out of the newly nominated distinguished members, Jaya’s Silsila co-star Rekha Ganeshan and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar were not in the House when the controversy broke. Industrialist and social activist Anu Agha was present.
Unlike Advani, who found some supporters yesterday in interpreting the word “illegitimate” which he had initially used against UPA II, no one stood by Shinde. Jaitley urged Shinde to make amends and withdraw the comments so that the House could resume proceedings. Anwar also looked at the Treasury benches, imploring the members to close the matter.
Shinde — Jaya lives in his home state Maharashtra — said she should not have disturbed him while he was speaking. No one can interrupt when a minister is speaking in the House, Shinde said.
However, Shinde told Anwar: “Sir, if she is hurt, I apologise. She is my sister.”
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