Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kirti Azad of repeatedly using an e-cigarette inside the Lok Sabha an act that is not only prohibited within Parliament but also illegal under Indian law.
The controversy erupted after BJP MP Anurag Thakur publicly alleged that a TMC member had been “constantly smoking an e-cigarette” inside the House for several days. BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya named Kirti Azad as the MP in question, calling the act a brazen violation of parliamentary norms.
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
“For people like him, rules and laws clearly hold no meaning,” Amit Malviya posted on X, stating the gravity of the accusation. “Just imagine the audacity hiding an e-cigarette in his palm while in the House.”
Taking the matter forward institutionally, Anurag Thakur submitted a written complaint to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday, demanding a thorough inquiry, disciplinary proceedings, and exemplary action against the accused MP. Thakur had raised the issue a day earlier during Question Hour, prompting the Speaker to ask for a formal complaint to enable due process.
Addressing the House, Speaker Om Birla made it unequivocally clear that no Member of Parliament enjoys any exemption from rules or laws. “No permission has been granted to anyone for any prohibited activity, including the use of e-cigarettes or smoking,” Birla stated, assuring MPs that action would be taken if the allegations were substantiated.
E-cigarettes are banned across India under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019. Their use inside Parliament an institution symbolizing India’s democracy and constitutional discipline would represent a grave breach of both law and decorum.
“E-cigarettes have been banned in the country. Have you allowed it in the House?” Thakur asked pointedly, putting the issue squarely before the Speaker and the nation. The BJP has demanded West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee clarify her party’s position on the alleged misconduct of her MP.
