NEW DELHI: The BJP accused Trinamool Congress MP Kirti Azad of vaping inside the Lok Sabha during the ongoing session, sharing a video clip and demanding clarification from West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.
IT cell chief Amit Malviya posted the footage on X, claiming Azad hid an e-cigarette in his palm, calling it an audacity that defies rules despite the nationwide ban on e-cigarettes under the 2019 Act. He urged Mamata to address her MP’s “misconduct.”
The row stems from BJP MP Anurag Thakur’s formal letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla last week, alleging a TMC lawmaker openly used an e-cigarette in the House—visible to members—and raised it during Question Hour. Thakur termed it a grave breach of parliamentary conduct and statutory law.
Lok Sabha Secretariat sources confirmed the matter is under serious review, with action to follow after scrutinizing session recordings per established norms. The controversy highlights tensions over adherence to anti-smoking prohibitions in Parliament.
