Ravi Kishan hits back at Jaya Bachchan, says `will raise Bollywood drug abuse issue even at cost of my life`

NEW DELHI: Bhojpuri actor and BJP MP Ravi Kishan on Tuesday (September 14) hit out at Samajwadi Party MP and veteran actor Jaya Bachchan over her 'bite the hands that feed them' remarks on him, stating that he worked his way up in the film industry without anyone's support.

"There is a conspiracy to finish our film industry by hollowing it out. As a responsible member of the film industry, it is not just my right but my duty to raise it in Parliament and Jaya ji should respect that. I am just a son of a priest who crawled his way up and has worked in 600 films," Kishan said in the Parliament. 

"I expected Jaya ji to support what I said. Not everyone in the industry consumes drugs but those who do are part of a plan to finish the world's largest film industry. When Jaya ji joined, the situation was not like this but now we need to protect the industry," he added.

He said that Jaya probably didn't listen to the issue which was raised by him in the Parliament. "I raised the issues to save the industry from drugs. Jaya Bachchan belong to a different party with a different ideology than BJP. Our ideology is to remove dirt from the country and we are working on this since 2014 under the leadership of the Prime Minister.  I will not let my film industry to become hollow from inside. The industry is as much mine as it is of Jaya Bachchan. I will raise the voice even at the cost of my life," he said. 

The actor added that instead of receiving any support on the issue, he is being insulted in the House.

Ravi Kishan added that consumption of drugs in Bollywood has become a fashion now, a trend which was not seen during the 90s. He said that the reputation of the film industry is being tarnished due to the few people and; the backbone of drug cartels and mafias need to be broken. 

"The death of SSR is now also being linked to the drugs. Which country is planning to ruin our film industry? This is the matter of concern for government and my party is in government," he said. 

He congratulated Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for renaming Mughal museum in Agra in the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. "Mughals don’t deserve to be named as they attacked and looted us. This is a very good step by Yogi Adityanath," he said. 

He also questioned Congress Wayanad MP and former party president's absence from the Monsoon session, stating, "Rahul Gandhi should raise questions when he is in India. I don’t know on which foreign tour he is. Parliament is in session and Rahul Gandhi should come back."

The comments from Ravi Kishan came after Jaya Bachchan during the zero hour in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday in a veiled manner criticised him for raising the drug abuse issue in Bollywood. The 72-year-old veteran actress-politician, however, had refrained from taking any names.

"I think it is very important that the government must support this industry and not kill it just because there are a few people, you can't tarnish the image of the entire industry. I was really embarrassed and ashamed yesterday one of our members in the Lok Sabha, who is from the industry spoke against (I am not taking the name) the film industry."

"It is a shame 'jis thali mein khate hai usi me chhed karte hai', galat baat hai. I need the protection, this industry needs protection and support of the government", Bachchan said during the second day of the Monsoon session in Parliament.