DH NEWS SERVICE
new delhi, june 27
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who once engaged in a heated verbal duel with Rajya Sabha member Jaya Bachchan, on Friday lavished praise on her and her husband, Amitabh Bachchan, for their relentless dedication to work.
Addressing students, parents, and teachers on the occasion of the 156th Founders’ Day of Sherwood College in Nainital, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar applauded Rajya Sabha member Jaya Bachchan and her husband, Amitabh Bachchan, for their dedication to work. He described Jaya Bachchan as a fine parliamentarian and a distinguished member of the Upper House, while praising the couple’s ageless “work is worship” attitude.
“I would not reflect further, but I must certainly make a reference to Amitabh Bachchan because his spouse, Jaya Bachchan, is a very distinguished member of the Rajya Sabha. Amitabh Bachchan always reminds us that ‘Work is worship’. There is no age for work, and you must continue to contribute,” the vice President said in his address, applauding the achievements of the school’s alumni, including Amitabh Bachchan.
It’s notable that actor-politician Jaya Bachchan and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who is also the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, had a heated face-off in the Upper House in August 2024 after he addressed her as ‘Jaya Amitabh Bachchan’ while inviting her to speak during a debate. Offended by Dhankhar’s address, she accused him of speaking to her in an “unacceptable tone”. The incident prompted opposition MPs to stage a walkout and protest outside the Rajya Sabha.
Highlighting the school’s legacy, Dhankhar told students, “You are at a place where legends have walked. Major Som Nath Sharma, Bharat’s first Param Vir Chakra recipient—the nation’s highest military decoration—studied here. Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, the architect of the historic 1971 India-Pakistan war victory, was also nurtured by this institution.”
Speaking about India’s recent growth and the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India), Dhankhar said, “In this century, our goal is not just literacy—literacy mattered long ago in Bharat. Today, your true potential is being nurtured and guided by the hand-holding attitude of your faculty. Similarly, this nation’s potential is being harnessed every single day. Bharat is a nation on the rise—its progress is continuous and incremental. If I reflect on the last decade, Bharat’s economic growth has been exponential by global standards. Our infrastructure development has been phenomenal. Among the large economies, we are the fastest-growing. The last decade has been one of transformation—for development, for growth, for finding a renewed place in the global order. And now, it is up to you to take this momentum forward. Because Viksit Bharat, a developed India, is no longer just a dream—it is our destination.”
Inspiring the youth to act as catalysts for change, he stated, “We are 10 years younger than China and the US. When we look at our demographic composition, 65 percent of our population is below the age of 35 years. Boys and girls, the world is changing too fast for us. Do not be overtaken by change. We have to create the change we need and formulate the change we want.”
