BJP Accuses TMC MP of Smoking Banned E-Cigarettes in Parliament, TMC Fires Back
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A heated exchange erupted in the Lok Sabha on Thursday after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Anurag Thakur accused a Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP of violating the ban on e-cigarettes by smoking in the House. Thakur raised the issue during the Question Hour, questioning whether e-cigarettes are permitted in the Lok Sabha. Speaker Om Birla replied that they are not allowed, but this did little to calm Thakur's concerns. He alleged that the TMC MP had been smoking e-cigarettes for several days, prompting several BJP members to demand action. In response, TMC MP Saugata Roy defended his colleague, citing the rules that allow smoking outside the Parliament building. He argued that while smoking is not permitted inside, it is allowed outside. The BJP has since demanded that the TMC take action against the MP, calling the incident a 'violation of the law and dignity of the House.' The party's national spokesperson, Shehzad Poonawalla, stated that the use of e-cigarettes is completely banned in Parliament premises and that the TMC MP had broken the law by smoking in the House. Speaker Birla has assured Thakur that an investigation will be conducted into the matter. The incident highlights the ongoing tensions between the BJP and the TMC in the Lok Sabha.
