Bollywood’s Drug row reaches Parliament: Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan says it’s a ‘conspiracy to defame Bollywood’

New Delhi: The raging controversy over the allegations of drug involvement in Bollywood has turned bigger on

Tuesday with noted film star and Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan saying that the industry was being defamed.

“Just because there are few people (allegedly involved in drugs), you cannot tarnish the entire industry,” actress-turned-lawmaker Jaya Bachchan sparked off row by her remarks in the Rajya Sabha.

She also said: “At a time when the financial situation is in a depressing stage and the employment is at the worst level, in order to divert the attention of the people, we are being used to be flogged at the social media and there is no support (for the film industry) from the government”.

She was critical of BJP MP Ravi Kishan’s remarks in the Lok Sabha on Sept 14 (Monday) on the drug cartel and how the Narcotics Control Bureau probe has intensified. Jaya flayed Gorakhpur MP saying – “Jis thali mein khaten haen….”

Of course, Ravi Kishan also hit back saying, “I have come here crawling” and that he has the “Bhojpuri Thali” – a reference to his works in Bhojpuri films.

The monsoon session of Parliament began on Monday, Sept 14 with the Lok Sabha holding its first-day session starting from 9 am unlike the normal time when session used to begin at 11 am.

The Rajya Sabha proceedings were held in the afternoon. On Tuesday, the Rajya Sabha held its proceedings during morning hours.

In order to maintain social distancing due to Corona crisis, members are sitting across both the Houses.

During zero hour on Monday, BJP MP and actor-turned-politician Ravi Kishan said: “The problem of drug trafficking and addiction is on a rise. I regret to say there is a conspiracy behind pushing drug menace in India and smuggling of drugs is being done from Pakistan and China. These are brought via Punjab and Nepal.

“Iska addiction film industry mein bhi kara dia (The film industry has fallen victim to this drug menace”, he has said.

Countering Jaya Bachchan, vocal star Kangana Ranaut, who had earlier spoken about the drugs in the

the entertainment industry, hit out at the veteran actress (Jaya Bachchan) rather strongly and even dragged

her two children (actor son Abhishek and daughter Shweta) into the debate.

“Jaya ji, would you say the same thing if in my place it was your daughter Shweta beaten, drugged and molested as a teenage, would you say the same thing if Abhieshek complained about bullying and harassment constantly and found hanging one day? Show compassion for us also” – Kangana tweeted.

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, also backed the ongoing NCB probe into the drug cartel in Bollywood and said mere ‘denial’ mode would not help serve the purpose.

Another BJP leader and Union Minister, Babul Supriyo, said like in cricket not everyone was involved in match-fixing and betting, the same norms should apply to Bollywood also.

“The crisis looming over Bollywood with Drugs is reminiscent of what happened to Cricket during the Betting Scandal years ago•Then the Game of Cricket Won bcuz everyone wasn’t evil – NOW Bollywood & Art shall prevail & with Glory bcuz of the Same Reason – Everyone isn’t Evil AMEN”

In another missive, he wrote: “Like in the Cricket every cricketer wasn’t involved, similarly entire Bollywood ISN’T into drugs-NO! It’s grossly unfair to say so simply because IT IS NOT TRUE!! Rather Most Stars from Bollywood are Extremely Disciplined•They Exercise, Diet, Study Work the hard way Hard to Success”.

In fact, Ravi Kishan also said — the drug menace is now at a small scale and thus could be curtailed and fought. The NCB arrested actress Rhea Chakraborty and others in drug menace and procuring charges while in Bengaluru also several arrests were being made in cases related to drug abuse.