"Imagine The Audacity": BJP's Amit Malviya Lights Up Parliament Vaping Row

The 'smoking in Parliament' row blew up Wednesday after BJP leader Amit Malviya shared a 35-second video that showed, he claimed, Trinamool MP Kirti Azad vaping in the House.

The video showed Azad sitting inside the Lok Sabha and making a gesture that resembled smoking – i.e., he brought his cupped right hand to his mouth and held it for five seconds.

However, in the clip on X, neither a cigarette or e-cigarette nor any smoke was seen.

Nevertheless, Malviya accused the former India cricketer of vaping inside the House, referring to party colleague Anurag Thakur's comment last week about an unidentified lawmaker.

"The Trinamool MP accused by BJP MP Anurag Thakur of vaping inside Parliament is none other than Kirti Azad. For people like him, rules and laws clearly hold no meaning. Just imagine the audacity, hiding an e-cigarette in his palm while in the House!"

The TMC MP accused by BJP MP Anurag Thakur of vaping inside Parliament is none other than Kirti Azad. For people like him, rules and laws clearly hold no meaning. Just imagine the audacity, hiding an e-cigarette in his palm while in the House!

Smoking may not be illegal, but… pic.twitter.com/kZGnYcP0Iu

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) December 17, 2025

"Smoking may not be illegal but using it in Parliament is entirely unacceptable. (Trinamool Congress boss) Mamata Banerjee must clarify on her MP's misconduct," Malviya said.

Last Thursday Thakur, a former union minister, complained to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla about Trinamool MPs vaping in the House. "E-cigarettes are banned across the country… yet you have allowed them in the House? Trinamool MPs have been sitting and smoking for days..."

Birla urged House members to maintain dignity and vowed action. "We must adhere to parliamentary traditions and rules. If such matters come to my attention, I will act," he said.

This issue may seem insignificant given there are more serious topics – electoral reform and the air pollution in Delhi, for example – but political observers were keen to point out it is not.

By drawing the Speaker into the row, the BJP had converted a potential social gaffe into a breach of parliamentary privilege. This, observers, argued, gave the ruling party leverage over its rival.

It was also significant that Thakur's allegation revolved around e-cigarettes inside the House because consumption of these, unlike their tobacco-filled cousins, are fully illegal in India.

RECAP | "E-Cigarettes Banned": BJP MP Targets Trinamool In Parliament Vaping Row

A 2019 law prohibits the production, manufacture, import/export, transport, sale, distribution, storage, and advertising of e-cigarettes.

The squabble has extended to normal cigarettes too.

Last week another Trinamool MP, Saugata Roy, was confronted outside the House, but still inside Parliament premises, by the BJP's Giriraj Singh Gajendra Shekhawat while smoking.

They cited health concerns as they did; a video of the confrontation showed Roy hiding a cigarette behind his back as he argued with them. Roy defended himself on the grounds that he was not smoking inside the House – which is banned by the Parliament rulebook.

RECAP | "1 Cigarette Doesn't Matter": Trinamool MP's Pollution Jibe In Smoking Row

He also countered with the 'Delhi pollution' card, declaring the BJP would be better served by trying to control the AQI crisis in the city, and that "one cigarette does not matter".

And underneath all of this is another layer of subtext – the BJP vs Trinamool proxy face-off ahead of next year's Assembly election.

Finally, rows over smoking inside Parliament are not new.

Back in 2015 there was commotion after smoking was banned inside the House and the designated 'smoking room' was converted into an office for the Trinamool. On that occasion MPs from the treasury and opposition benches complained to then-Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.