'Madhuri Dixit is 2nd grade actor': Congress' Tikaram Jully's IIFA Awards comment sparks controversy

The IIFA Awards in Rajasthan have caused a strong political debate, with Congress leader and Leader of Opposition, Tikaram Jully, adding to the controversy by calling Bollywood star Madhuri Dixit a 'second-rate actress.'

The controversy began after reports claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Rajasthan government spent more than Rs 100 crore to host the IIFA ceremony in Jaipur last week. The Opposition Congress has criticized the ruling party, questioning why such a large amount was spent on a film event while important religious and public welfare projects were supposedly ignored.

नेता प्रतिपक्ष टीकाराम जूली का शिक्षा मंत्री मदन दिलावर पर तंज।
जूली ने कहा- "हमारे शिक्षा मंत्री स्कूल बंद करने में लगे हुए हैं। @TikaRamJullyINC @madandilawarpic.twitter.com/1wc4eCw5tr

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While slamming the government, he stated, "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."

He also criticised the event's guest list, stating that, except for Shah Rukh Khan, no major Bollywood stars attended the awards, reducing its importance. Defending his controversial comment about Madhuri Dixit, Jully said, "When Madhuri Dixit's name was brought up, I said, 'She is in second grade now. Her time is over.' No big film stars came.'"

The politician further asked, "When Amitabh Bachchan didn’t come, what is there to say?"

The Congress leader further raised questions about the event's benefits for Rajasthan, accusing the government of misusing taxpayers' money. "Passes worth Rs 7 lakh were given out for free. What did Rajasthan gain from IIFA? The stars didn’t visit tourist spots, and the people of Rajasthan got nothing," he reportedly said.

Jully's comments have triggered anger among Bollywood fans and industry insiders, with many coming to the defense of Madhuri, who continues to be an iconic figure in Indian cinema.

During the event, Madhuri performed to some of her iconic songs alongside Shah Rukh. Several videos of their performance have gone viral on social media. The actress also gave a solo performance.