Speaker bans smoking in Parliament

It was a happy Sunday for new parliamentarian Naveen Jindal, as his first ever suggestion to Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee was accepted and implemented. After an all-party meeting, the Speaker decreed that the Central Hall and lobbies in Parliament House would be free from smoking from tomorrow.

The meeting had been convened to discuss possible issues that might come up in the Budget session.

"We have now decided that the Central Hall and lobbies will be smoke-free from tomorrow," Chatterjee said, after the meeting, attended by senior party leaders from the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the CPI(M) and others.

Jindal, a first time MP from Kurukshetra in Haryana, had written to Chatterjee after the first session of the 14th Lok Sabha that the legislative body, which cleared the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of advertisement and regulation of trade and commerce, production, supply and distribution) Act, 2003 allowed smoking within its walls.

Jindal's letter quoted extensively from the Act and said there was no justification for smoking in Parliament. "I am happy that the Speaker agreed to my suggestion. I am sure it will be good for everyone's health," he said to Business Standard.

"Actually, the ventilation system in Parliament is such that we end up breathing in recycled air, so you can imagine the air content of a room with smokers in it," he said.

Jindal said 90 per cent of MP's actually did not smoke, "but why should the House that made the law lead in breaking it?"

While smoking has been banned, the Speaker did not extend it to the chewing of tobacco or pan. The Speaker said pan was not gaseous but this could be considered.

Besides enforcing a ban on smoking, it was also decided to telecast Zero Hour proceedings as also increasing the numbers from the existing 16 to 24 of the parliament's standing committees, chaterjee said.

This is not the first time Jindal has taken on such causes, he fought and won a court case reserving the right of every Indian to fly the tri-colour, as well as taken on Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel and Tourism Minister Renuka Chaudhary demanding that duty-free shops at airports accept the rupee as valid currency.

Here's looking at Jindal's next cause.