UP Assembly bans pan masala, tobacco; violators to be fined
What's the story
The Uttar Pradesh Assembly has banned the consumption of pan masala and gutka inside its premises with immediate effect.
The decision was taken by Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana after a legislator was caught spitting gutka on the carpet at the entrance of the main hall.
Anyone violating the new rule will have to pay a fine of ₹1,000, and necessary action will be taken against them.
Incident aftermath
Speaker Mahana's response to the spitting incident
After the incident, Speaker Mahana himself visited the spot and ordered sanitation staff to clean the stain.
A video of him overseeing the cleaning, along with Minister of State for Employment and Labour Mannu Kori and MLAs Ajay Singh (Karnailganj) and Dhirendra Singh (Jewar), went viral.
Frustrated, Mahana asked, "Why should everyone face humiliation because of one legislator's deed? Will the staff keep cleaning spitting stains in the Assembly?"
Cleanliness appeal
Mahana calls for collective responsibility in cleanliness
He asked officials to find the guilty legislator and make him pay for changing the carpet.
Speaking in the House, Mahana said, "This morning, I was informed that an honorable legislator spat 'paan masala' in the legislative assembly hall."
He added keeping the place clean is a responsibility of all 403 members and 25 crore people of Uttar Pradesh.
"But I do not want to humiliate any individual. So, I am not taking their name," he said.
Warning issued
Mahana urges members to intervene, warns of public call-out
Further, Mahana urged members to intervene if they see such acts and gave the unnamed legislator an opportunity to come forward voluntarily.
He warned if the legislator didn't confess, he would be called out publicly.
"If the said member comes to me and confesses, it would be good. Otherwise, I would have to call him," he added.