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

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Anurag Thakur on Thursday accused an opposition lawmaker – from Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress – of smoking e-cigarettes in the Lok Sabha.

Thakur made the accusation during Question Hour, asking Speaker Om Birla if these were allowed in the House. When Birla replied in the negative, Thakur said a Trinamool MP – whom he did not name – had been "smoking e-cigarettes in the House for the past several days".

"E-cigarettes are banned across the country… yet you have allowed them in the House? Trinamool MPs have been sitting and smoking them for several days... e-cigarettes are being smoked in the House. Please investigate this immediately," Thakur piped up.

That accusation prompted other BJP MPs to stand up and complain too, triggering a brief uproar to add some variety to other often chaotic scenes that unfold regularly in Parliament.

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.

Thakur and the other BJP MPs are expected to present a written complaint.

NDTV spoke to another BJP leader – Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh – on this subject. "This (smoking of e-cigarettes) is unfortunate. And if an MP smokes it, it is even more unfortunate."

E-cigarettes or vapes are electronic or battery-operated devices that heat a liquid – which normally contains nicotine and added flavours – into an aerosol inhaled by the user.

These were completely banned in India under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act of 2019, which makes it illegal to manufacture, import, sell, distribute, store, or advertise them.

In fact, even possession is illegal.

However, as with most laws in a country as vast and diverse as India, enforcement remains a challenge. E-cigarettes and vapes, and the inhalable liquid, can still be purchased illegally.

In 2023 the centre wrote to state counterparts to ensure effective compliance, highlighting instances of e-cigarettes being sold at grocery or stationary stores near educational institutions.

It is also worth noting India has banned smoking in public places, which includes the Parliament building and grounds. In fact, the Parliament Rule Book states smoking is "strictly forbidden".

The ban on smoking in Parliament and the closure of a 'smoking room' in the complex, incidentally, led to an uproar too; this was back in 2015 and led to MPs from across party lines complaining to then-Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.