Congress Leader Makes Objectionable Comment Degrading Madhuri Dixit

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing political uproar surrounding the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards held in Jaipur last weekend, Congress leader Tikaram Jully has stirred further controversy with his comments about Bollywood superstar Madhuri Dixit. Jully termed Dixit as a "2nd grade actor," claiming her time in the industry had passed.

The row erupted after reports suggested that the BJP -led state government spent over Rs 100 crore to host the IIFA ceremony, prompting fierce criticism from the opposition Congress. 

Jully, who is the Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan , accused the government of prioritizing extravagant spending on a film event while neglecting essential issues like funding for prominent temples in the state, including Khatu Shyam Ji and Govind Dev Ji temples.

“While this government chants the name of Sanatan, it couldn’t allocate Rs 100 crore for Khatu Shyam Ji temple or Rs 120 crore for Govind Dev Ji temple. But they quickly approved Rs 100 crore for the IIFA ceremony,” Jully said. 

He also hit out at the event’s lack of star power, stating that, apart from Shah Rukh Khan, no major Bollywood actors attended the awards, which, according to Jully, undermined the event's credibility. 

“When someone mentioned Madhuri Dixit, I replied, ‘She is in second grade now. Her time is over.’ No big film stars came. When Amitabh Bachchan didn’t come, what is there to say?” Jully added.

Jully further criticized the event’s benefits to the state, saying, “Passes worth Rs 7 lakh were given out for free, using taxpayers' money. What did Rajasthan gain from IIFA? The stars didn’t visit tourist spots, and the people of Rajasthan gained nothing.”

Sonu Nigam Controversy Adds Fuel to the Fire

In another layer to the controversy, Jully also raised questions about the absence of renowned singer Sonu Nigam from the IIFA event. The Congress leader referred to a previous incident during which Nigam criticized Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma for walking out of his performance in Jaipur. “What happened in one month? You called Sonu Nigam for 'Rajasthan Rising,' but not for IIFA. Sonu Nigam should have been invited. He sings well,” Jully said.

Sonu Nigam had previously expressed disappointment over the lack of respect shown by the government during his performance. He also took to social media, accusing IIFA of ignoring him in the nominations for the Best Male Playback Singer award, sharing a screenshot of the nominations list with a sarcastic message: “Thank you IIFA... After all, you were answerable to the Rajasthan bureaucracy.”