India
oi-Prakash KL
Samajwadi Party MP and veteran actor Jaya Bachchan has once again found herself at the centre of a controversy involving the media after a video showing her pushing away a reporter’s microphone during a protest in Delhi went viral on social media.
Bachchan was reportedly participating in the INDIA bloc’s protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the ongoing row surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Opposition MPs, including Jaya Bachchan, marched towards the Election Commission office on Tuesday but were stopped by police near Parliament Street.
Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan pushed a reporter’s microphone during an INDIA bloc protest in Delhi on Tuesday concerning electoral roll revisions, with the viral video sparking online criticism and comparisons to her past media interactions.
During the protest, a reporter reportedly attempted to ask Bachchan a question. In the video circulating online, she is seen pushing the microphone away instead of responding to the query.
However, Oneindia cannot verify the authenticity of the clip.
The incident has since triggered a wave of reactions on social media, with several users criticising the MP’s conduct.
Some users questioned her decision to avoid the reporter, while others drew a comparison between her treatment of journalists and her well-known clashes with paparazzi. One social media user described the incident as Bachchan “treating mainstream news reporters just like paparazzi”, while others posted sarcastic comments about the episode.
SHOCKING! Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan now treating mainstream news reporters just like paparazzi by swatting mics away. 🤯 https://t.co/TgNSB52S3Q
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) October 6, 2026
Jaya Bachchan’s Long History With Paparazzi
The latest incident has also brought renewed attention to Bachchan’s often tense relationship with photographers and the entertainment media.
Her clashes with paparazzi are not new. In June 2025, she was seen objecting to photographers who followed her and her daughter Shweta Bachchan-Nanda towards their car after a prayer meeting. Bachchan sarcastically told the paparazzi to accompany them as they continued taking pictures.
In August 2025, another video showed Bachchan pushing away a man who moved close to her while attempting to take a selfie outside Delhi’s Constitution Club. She subsequently reprimanded him for getting too close.
Bachchan has also openly spoken about her discomfort with paparazzi culture. In November 2025, she questioned the professionalism of paparazzi and said she had a very different relationship with trained journalists. She has previously maintained that she dislikes being photographed without warning.
Her disagreements with the media go back much further. In 2011, Bachchan pushed away a reporter’s microphone after being asked a question about the Union Budget at an unrelated event. She objected to being asked a political question at the venue.
She has also had several public confrontations with photographers over the years, including incidents involving fans taking pictures and paparazzi surrounding her at public events. A 2024 report quoted paparazzo Manav Manglani as saying Bachchan particularly dislikes being caught off guard by photographers.
The latest episode, however, comes in a political setting rather than a celebrity event. With Bachchan now appearing as an opposition MP at protests over the Election Commission and SIR, the viral video has added another chapter to her long-running and often contentious relationship with the media.
