New Delhi, July 30: Samajwadi Party MP and Bollywood icon Jaya Bachchan ignited controversy in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday after questioning the government’s choice of name for ‘Operation Sindoor’, launched in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 civilians dead.
Delivering a passionate speech during the Upper House debate, Bachchan began with condolences to the bereaved families but soon turned critical. Aiming her remarks at the treasury benches, she said: “You come up with these grand names. But why ‘Sindoor’? Sindoor toh ujad gaya (the sindoor was wiped away). What about the wives whose husbands were gunned down in front of them?”
Her remarks drew swift and sharp reactions from BJP leaders, who accused her of undermining the spirit and symbolism behind the name. The moment turned tense when ruling party MPs interjected.
Unfazed, Bachchan retorted: “Either you speak or I will. When you speak, I don’t interrupt. When a woman speaks, I never interrupt. Please mind your tongue.” Even her fellow Opposition MP, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Priyanka Chaturvedi, sitting beside her, wasn’t spared. As Chaturvedi gently tried to calm her, Bachchan snapped: “Priyanka, don’t control me.” Chaturvedi smiled in response but did not press further.
Sources have indicated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself chose the operation’s name, drawing directly from the horrifying details of the Pahalgam massacre, where Hindu men were executed at close range in front of their wives and children.
The term Sindoor, a vivid red powder worn by Hindu women to signify marital status, was used to reflect both the profound loss of life and the resolve to avenge it. Bachchan also questioned the intelligence failure that led to the attack, stating: “You have destroyed people’s faith. The families will never forgive you.” But for many in the government, the name was not about embellishment but reclaiming dignity through force and justice.
IANS