NEW DELHI: BJP member Anurag Thakur on Thursday accused an unnamed TMC MP of smoking an e-cigarette in the Lok Sabha, with Speaker Om Birla assuring action.
During Question Hour, while asking a supplementary, Thakur wondered whether e-cigarettes are allowed in the House. When Birla replied in the negative, the BJP MP said a TMC member has been "constantly smoking e-cigarettes in the House for the past several days".
Several BJP members then demanded action against the opposition MP. Amid uproar, Birla urged members to maintain the dignity of the House. He said if a written complaint is lodged, he will take action. E-cigarettes were banned in the country a few years ago.
Meanwhile, the proceedings in the lower house continued without major disruption on Thursday. Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said Union Home Minister Amit Shah appeared visibly uneasy during his address in the House and did not respond to the issues he had raised. Rahul said, "He (Amit Shah) was very nervous yesterday. His hands were shaking; you must have seen it. He used inappropriate language. Mentally, he is under a lot of pressure. The entire country saw it. And regarding what I said, he did not respond or provide any proof. We publicly stated it in press conferences. I directly challenged him to come forward so we could discuss it in Parliament and address my press conferences…"