Despite ban, these lawmakers in UP assembly use paan, guthka

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath banned paan masala and gutkha in state government offices, his lawmakers appear to be in no hurry to follow orders.

Lucknow, July 19: The Uttar Pradesh government may have banned consumption of paan (betel) and tobacco inside government offices and buildings in the state, but the state lawmakers themselves do not abide by the orders.

Gutkha (pan masala) and khaini (raw tobacco) pouches were found under the seats of the legislators in the Assembly during a search last Saturday.

The anti-terrorism squad was in UP assembly last week looking for suspicious objects at the legislative assembly after a powerful plastic explosive powder. But what they also found was empty paan masala and gutkha packets stuffed under cushions in the state assembly hall, reported The Telegraph. Worse, they found red spit stains under the lawmakers' chairs.

"We were looking for more explosive substances but came across these obnoxious things," one of the police officers said.

Earlier, Yogi was reportedly furious on finding paan spit stains at the old CM office when he came to power earlier in March this year, and had ordered a complete ban on these products in government buildings.

Despite the ban, these lawmakers most of them from CM's own party are quietly flouting these rules right under Yogi's nose.

OneIndia News