Jayaprada rages at sage Renuka

TNN / Dec 13, 2005, 02:07 IST

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It all began with Jayaprada querying tourism minister Renuka on the safety of foreign women tourists.

NEW DELHI: It is a battle you are likely to see quite often. Samajwadi Party MP Jayaprada and tourism minister Renuka Chaudhary sparred during question hour in the Lok Sabha on Monday �� taking up from where they left off during their innings in the Telugu Desam in Andhra Pradesh.
It all began with Jayaprada querying tourism minister Renuka on the safety of foreign women tourists.But what got the ex-actress' goat was the minister's attempt to brush aside the question with a rhetorical flourish on women's empowerment.
Referring to the Priyadarshini programme of women cab drivers for tourists, the minister promised steps that would move from safeguarding women to ensuring that they could take care of themselves. Turning an oft-repeated phrase on its head, Renuka said: "Jo chudi pehenti hain woh apni suraksha khud kar sakti hain (Those who wear bangles can protect themselves)."
Thumping of desks had Jayaprada flying into a rage. Seeking the speaker's intervention, she said that making unnecessary comments should not become "a habit" and instead the minister should table the precise statistics on attacks on foreign women tourists.

The House watched in amusement as the two women from AP clashed until another MP put his foot down and insisted on being heard as he was called to speak by the speaker.
Many saw the entire exchange as the resurfacing of an old rivalry. Both the MPs hail from the same political stable but have since branched out.
They started their careers as TDP Rajya Sabha MPs. Renuka Chaudhary's falling out with the TDP coincided with Jayaprada's rise first in the TDP and later in the Samajwadi Party. Since then, they haven't had much love lost for each other.
What was on display in question hour was probably a manifestation of the same relationship.

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