Saugata Roy Seen With Cigarette Outside Parliament After BJP Claims TMC MP Vaping In Lok Sabha

Last Updated:December 12, 2025, 09:26 IST

Saugata Roy was seen smoking a cigarette outside Parliament after BJP MP Anurag Thakur’s accusation of a TMC MP using e-cigarettes inside the Lok Sabha.

TMC MP Saugata Roy seen with cigarette on Parliament premises (Video screengrabs)

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saugata Roy was seen smoking a cigarette outside Parliament on Thursday, sparking a discussion with Union Ministers Giriraj Singh and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, amid heightened scrutiny over the use of e-cigarettes in the Lok Sabha.

Roy, a senior TMC member, was heard saying during the conversation, “We cannot smoke inside the building, but can outside."

The remark came as Singh and Shekhawat expressed concern about public health and the dignity of the House.

Responding, Shekhawat said, “You are endangering public health, dada."

Singh added, “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."

Roy, meanwhile, sought to downplay the political angle.

“I cannot say anything about that, because I was not in the House and I don’t know who smoked and complained. It is for the Speaker to inquire and take action if it amounts to a violation of the rules. Why is it being made a political issue?" he asked.

Later, Roy, while speaking to reporters, could be heard saying, “We can smoke e-cigarette (within the premises of the House). We cannot smoke inside the building, but can outside."

The incident outside Parliament comes in the wake of BJP MP Anurag Thakur accusing an unnamed TMC MP of smoking an e-cigarette inside the Lok Sabha.

During Question Hour, Thakur asked whether e-cigarettes were allowed in the House, noting that the TMC member had been “constantly smoking e-cigarettes in the House for the past several days."

Speaker Om Birla responded firmly that no rules allow smoking inside the House and urged members to maintain the dignity of Parliament.

He added that if a written complaint is lodged, appropriate action would follow.

BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also demanded that the TMC take action against the member involved.

“There has been a complete ban on e-cigarettes across the country since 2019. The use of any such items is completely banned in the Parliament premises. But a TMC MP violated all these laws today," he said.

Poonawalla further questioned the TMC’s response, asking, “The question is, will the TMC take action against its MP or wait for the Speaker to do so?"

“They say they are defenders of parliamentary democracy. What action will the TMC take against the erring MP who lowered the dignity of the Parliament and the Constitution?" Poonawalla asked.

E-cigarettes have been banned under the Electronic Cigarettes (Prohibition) Act, 2019, which prohibits their production, sale, import, export, and advertising, with penalties including jail terms and fines.

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