New Delhi [India], December 12 : Trinamool Congress MP Kirti Azad on Friday sharply reacted to Bharatiya Janata Party MP Anurag Thakur's letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker regarding allegations of unnamed opposition leader from TMC of smoking an e-cigarette in the Lok Sabha.
Azad questioned the validity of Thakur's claims and noted that Thakur had raised them during Zero Hour, the allotted time for all MPs to raise issues, and that the Speaker had reprimanded Thakur for wasting time.
Azad also highlighted that Thakur failed to name specific individuals in his complaint, raising questions about the credibility of his claims.
Speaking to reporters, Azad said, "... Who is going to verify his claims?... Zero Hour is for all the MPs, and he was wasting time, and the Speaker scolded him for that... He hasn't named one person in his complaint..."
Anurag Thakur complained in Lok Sabha that a TMC MP had been smoking e-cigarettes for several days. Speaker Om Birla promised to take action in the event of any such occurrence. Union Minister Giriraj Singh said that smoking E-Cigarettes is prohibited outside the House, and if an MP smokes it in the House, it hurts the dignity of the House.
Proceedings of Lok Sabha were briefly disrupted during Question Hour on Thursday after Anurag Thakur accused a Trinamool Congress MP of smoking an e-cigarette in the House for several days.
Anurag Thakur said E-Cigarettes have been banned in the country and asked if they have been allowed in the House. The Speaker said that no such permission has been granted.
Amid the uproar, Anurag Thakur sought a probe into the matter, calling it a serious issue. Birla requested all MPs to maintain the decorum of the House. "If I get any such information, I will certainly take action," he said and urged the member to give a complaint in writing.
Outside the House, Union Ministers Giriraj Singh and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat were seen having a conversation with Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy, who said one can smoke an e-cigarette in an open space outside a building."We cannot smoke inside the building, but can outside," he said."You are endangering public health, dada," Shekhawat responded.
"BJP MP Anurag Thakur raised this issue. E-cigarettes were prohibited in 2019, and if an MP smokes an E-cigarette inside the House, it hurts the dignity of the House...It is very unfortunate...This shows how much they (TMC) respect the House," Giriraj Singh told reporters.