TMC MPs Face Complaint Over Parliament Smoking

• TMC MP Kirti Azad accused of smoking an e-cigarette inside Lok Sabha on December 11.
• BJP MP Anurag Thakur filed a written complaint against Azad and TMC MP Saugata Roy, who allegedly smoked a regular cigarette on Parliament premises.
• E-cigarette use is banned in India, with penalties up to 1 year imprisonment or a 1 lakh fine for a first offense; public smoking is also prohibited.
• The alleged acts violate both Indian law and parliamentary rules, which prohibit smoking inside and on Parliament premises.
• Speaker Om Birla will investigate the complaint; potential actions include fines or suspension, but disqualification from Parliament is unlikely.

Why It Matters: TMC MPs' alleged smoking in Parliament raises accountability questions for lawmakers.