Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Anurag Thakur on Thursday accused an unnamed opposition leader from the Trinamool Congress of smoking an e-cigarette in the Lok Sabha, with Speaker Om Birla securing the event.
During question hour, Thakur asked a supplementary question on whether e-cigarettes are allowed in Parliament.
“E-cigarettes are banned across the country…yet you allowed them in the House? Trinamool MPs have been sitting and smoking them for days…e-cigarettes are being smoked in the House. Please investigate immediately,” Thakur said.
When Birla replied in the negative, the BJP MP from Himachal Pradesh said the Trinamool Congress leader was “continuously smoking e-cigarettes in the House for the last few days”.
The allegation prompted other BJP MPs to stand up and also complain, sparking a brief uproar that added some variety to the often chaotic scenes that regularly play out in Parliament. Several BJP members then demanded action against the opposition MP.
If a written complaint is filed, I will act.
Amid the uproar, Birla urged members to maintain the dignity of the House. He said that if a written complaint is filed, he will take action.
E-cigarettes were banned in India a few years ago. The winter session of Parliament began on December 1 and will continue until December 19.
An e-cigarette (electronic cigarette) is a battery-powered device that heats a liquid – usually called e-liquid or vape juice – to create an aerosol that the user inhales.
In 2023, the Union government wrote to the states to ensure effective enforcement and pointed out cases where e-cigarettes are sold in grocery or stationery shops near educational institutions.
India has banned smoking in public places, including the Parliament building and its grounds. The Parliamentary Rule Book states that smoking is “strictly prohibited”.
A ban on smoking in Parliament – along with the closure of its designated smoking room – also sparked an uproar in 2015, with MPs across party lines raising the issue with then Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.
