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Delhi Confidential: New Challenges

BJP MPs have lodged complaints against the conduct of TMC MP Kirti Azad, who was seen “vaping during the proceedings” in a video released by the party’s IT cell, and against Congress Rajya Sabha MP Renuka Chowdhury, who was seen entering the Parliament premises with a stray dog in her car.

2 min readUpdated: Dec 20, 2025 05:57 AM IST

Kirti Azad vaping, Delhi Confidential, Om Birla, Renuka Chowdhury, Madhya Pradesh, Lok Sabha, Indian express news, current affairs

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla

The Winter Session has left two unprecedented issues before Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to handle. BJP MPs have lodged complaints against the conduct of TMC MP Kirti Azad, who was seen “vaping during the proceedings” in a video released by the party’s IT cell, and against Congress Rajya Sabha MP Renuka Chowdhury, who was seen entering the Parliament premises with a stray dog in her car. The Speaker, being the supreme authority of the House, has to take a call on both the complaints. At a meeting with mediapersons after the Winter Session was adjourned sine die on Friday, Birla said the two complaints are being examined.

Experts’ Visit

A three-member official delegation from Botswana, comprising veterinary, wildlife and ecology experts, visited Madhya Pradesh recently to assess conditions and preparations at Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar wildlife sanctuary in the run-up to the arrival of cheetahs from the African country, it is learnt. The delegation first held discussions with officials in Delhi before heading to MP. The visit of the delegation comes on the back of President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to Botswana, which saw release of eight cheetahs from Ghanzi region into a quarantine facility in Mokolodi Nature Reserve as part of bilateral collaboration on Project Cheetah. With the quarantine period over, officials from both nations are working on further formalities to get the big cats to India.

Packed House

Movement of visitors on Parliament premises has been majorly curtailed since the December 2023 smoke canister incident in the Lok Sabha. However, on Friday noon, soon after the Winter Session was adjourned, hordes of visitors, including school students and even families of some MPs, thronged the complex to see the leaders as well as the new Parliament building. In the afternoon, the Parliament canteen was also brimming with new faces.