THE Trinamool Congress MP who was allegedly vaping inside the Lok Sabha chamber could face “exemplary punishment” as maintaining the dignity of Parliament is non-negotiable, said Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
“There will be action against those who have violated the dignity of Parliament. No one has the right to undermine the sanctity of the House,” Birla told reporters at a press meet on the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth, being hosted by Indian Parliament.
During the Winter Session, BJP’s Anurag Thakur has alleged that “a TMC MP was sitting and smoking an e-cigarette” in the House despite such devices being banned across the country. Thakur had also submitted a written complaint to Birla without naming anyone. Later, the BJP shared a purported video clip in which TMC MP Kirti Azad appeared to be vaping in the Lok Sabha.
The video clip has been sent to a forensic lab to verify its content and the report is expected in a few days, sources said. Once the report arrives, the Speaker can refer the complaint to a parliamentary committee to suggest action.
Birla said the matter should be dealt with by the privilege committee or the ethics committee or a special committee can be constituted to look into the matter. “We will act on the recommendation of the committee. Everyone will have to maintain decorum in the House. A member could even lose his membership,” he said.
The committee has the option of suggesting any action — it can even be an expulsion, Birla said.
In his letter, Thakur has said: “A Member of Parliament belonging to the All India Trinamool Congress was seen openly using an electronic cigarette while seated in the House during the sittings.” Arguing that it was clearly visible from the footage that the MP was vaping, the BJP leader said it was an act of serious violation of parliamentary conduct and a grave breach of rules and statutory provisions. He pointed out that the manufacture, production, import, export, transport, sale, including online sale, distribution, storage and advertisement of e-cigarettes are completely prohibited across the country under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Act, 2019.
