A brief commotion broke out in the Lok Sabha on Thursday after BJP MP Anurag Thakur accused members of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of smoking electronic cigarettes inside the House — an act prohibited across India.
Raising the issue during Question Hour, Thakur asked Speaker Om Birla whether e-cigarettes were permitted inside Parliament. “In the entire country, e-cigarettes have been banned. Have you allowed it in the House?” he asked.
Birla responded firmly: “No.”
Thakur then alleged that certain TMC MPs had been “smoking it in the House for the last few days” and urged the Speaker to investigate the matter. “They are sitting in the House and smoking it… You should get it checked,” he said.
The allegation immediately triggered heated exchanges between members of the BJP and TMC benches. As both sides traded accusations, Speaker Birla intervened, reminding MPs to adhere strictly to parliamentary rules and traditions.
“If such an issue comes to me, action will be taken,” Birla stated, asking Thakur to submit his complaint in writing.
Despite the Speaker’s appeal, the verbal confrontation continued briefly, with BJP members accusing TMC MPs of flouting House rules and TMC MPs pushing back against the allegation.
