'Why'd you name...': Jaya Bachchan questions 'Op Sindoor' naming
What's the story
Samajwadi Party MP and veteran actor Jaya Bachchan on Wednesday questioned the naming of India's retaliatory action, Operation Sindoor, after the Pahalgam terror attack. She highlighted that many women lost their husbands in the incident and had instead "lost their sindoor." She was speaking in the Rajya Sabha during a debate on the Pahalgam attack and subsequent military operation, during which she also expressed condolences to families of those killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Baisaran Valley on April 22.
Criticism voiced
Bachchan slams government over Article 370 abrogation claims
Addressing the Upper House, she said, "I would congratulate you on the writers you have hired. You give grand names. Why did you name it 'Sindoor'? Sindoor toh ujad gaya (sindoor was destroyed), the wives of those who were killed." Bachchan also slammed the government's claims after Article 370 was abrogated, questioning promises of peace and safety. She said, "The tourists who went there...after the abolition of Article 370...what happened? The tourists went there believing that."
Power dynamics
Bombs can't replace basic humanity, says Bachchan
She added that families of victims will never forgive the government and accused them of not being able to apologize properly. The Samajwadi Party MP also slammed what she called the government's lack of humility. She said, "Humility in power is very important," stressing that bombs and weapons can't replace basic humanity. She questioned the point of self-reliance when they couldn't save people. During her speech, Bachchan was visibly agitated and faced interruptions from ruling party members.
Emotional appeal
Bachchan rebukes Priyanka Chaturvedi during speech
At one point, she said, "Either you speak or I will speak. When you speak, I don't interrupt. When a woman speaks, I never interrupt." In an unexpected moment during her speech, Bachchan also rebuked Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi for trying to calm her down. "Priyanka, don't control me," she said as Chaturvedi laughed in response. A video of the exchange went viral on social media.
Twitter Post
Bachchan snaps at interrupters
Jaya Bachchan got angry on Priyanka Chaturvedi.
— Ankur Singh (@iAnkurSingh) July 30, 2025
Check how @priyankac19 is sitting afterwards 😂 pic.twitter.com/XYeujGSP5K
Concluding remarks
'Derek said a good thing...': Bachchan ends speech
Bachchan ended her speech with an emotional appeal for humility and kindness from those in power. She also quoted Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien, saying, "Derek said a good thing—the weaker the argument, the more aggressive the body language." According to reports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi named Operation Sindoor after terrorists in Pahalgam rounded up Hindu men and shot them at close range in front of their wives and children.