Overview
- During Question Hour, BJP MP Anurag Thakur alleged an unnamed Trinamool Congress member had been using an e‑cigarette inside the Lok Sabha.
- The exchange prompted a brief uproar as BJP members pressed for action and Speaker Om Birla reiterated that smoking is not permitted in the chamber.
- Birla said he would consider strict action only if a formal written complaint is filed and the allegation is verified.
- E‑cigarettes have been banned nationally since 2019 under PECA, which prohibits their production, import, sale, distribution and advertisement, and House rules bar smoking inside the building.
- TMC leaders rejected the claim, with Dola Sen dismissing it and Saugata Roy saying members may smoke outside the building, while no MP has been named in the record and no disciplinary move has been initiated.