'You may be a celebrity...I don't want schooling': Jagdeep Dhankar tells Jaya Bachchan during RS spat

A furious Dhankhar hit back sharply, saying: "I don't want a schooling!" and told Jaya, "You may be a celebrity (but) you have to understand the decorum..."

The actor-turned-MP had started her remarks (before she was cut short by Dhankhar and told, repeatedly, to "take your seat") by introducing herself as "Jaya Amitabh Bachchan" - a swipe at a related row with Dhankhar that triggered sharp exchanges of its own earlier this week.

"Sir, I, Jaya Amitabh Bachchan (to chuckles from some benches), want to say this... I am an actor. I understand body language and expression (to applause) and, forgive me, but your tone is not acceptable. We are colleagues, sir... you may be sitting in the Chair but I remember when I went to school..." she said before Dhankhar waved his hands and told her to sit down.

"Jayaji, take your seat... take your seat..." Dhankhar said repeatedly as the noise level went up in a Rajya Sabha chamber that, new though it may be, has seen many heated battles.

"Honourable members... Honourable members..." Dhankhar continued, waving restraint at the other side of the House, "Please sit... please sit. I know how to deal with it."

The Chair then turned to Jaya and began his counter.

"Jayaji, you have earned a great reputation. (But) you know the actor is subject to the director... you have not seen what I have seen from here (the Chair). Every day... I don't want to repeat, I don't want schooling. I am a person who has gone out of the way ... and you say 'my tone'?"

"No... no... enough of this. No. You can't have it. No..." the Rajya Sabha Chair shouted firmly.

"You may be anybody... you may be a celebrity (but) you have to understand the decorum," a by-now furious Dhankhar declared, waving away further protests from both sides of the House.

"Nothing doing... no. Not at all... I will not hear it," Dhankar concluded.

After the fiery exchange, opposition MPs led by Congress veteran Sonia Gandhi walked out to support Jaya Bachchan claiming that they were not being allowed to speak during House debates.

Opposition MPs, led by Sonia Gandhi and the Trinamool Congress's Derek O'Brien, gathered outside Parliament, flanking Bachchan in a significant statement, and several spoke on her behalf.

Congress comms chief Jairam Ramesh told reporters opposition MPs had been repeatedly insulted in Parliament and denied a chance to speak. Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Priyanka Chaturvedi pointed out Bachchan has "vast parliamentary experience... more than the Vice President", while her Trinamool Congress colleague, Dola Sen, said Jaya Bachchan is a four-time MP and deserves respect.