Riyan Parag Smoking Row: Controversy Intensifies As 'Mothers Against Vaping' Group Seek Formal Probe Against RR Skipper

A women's group on Thursday demanded an inquiry into visuals purportedly showing cricketer Riyan Parag using a vape-like device during an IPL match, and questioned whether the incident was part of an attempt to normalise banned products.

Mothers Against Vaping, a collective of mothers advocating against the promotion of new-age nicotine devices such as vapes and e-cigarettes, has sought a thorough investigation into the incident..

The incident took place on April 28 during a match between Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings. The video, captured during a live broadcast, appeared to show the 24-year-old vaping inside the dressing room.

While the BCCI officials have sought an explanation from the team's captain, the group expressed its concerns over no formal notice issued against the player so far.

Citing provisions of the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019, the group said electronic cigarettes are banned in India, including their production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertisement.

It also rejected claims in some reports that vaping indoors falls in a "grey zone", calling such assertions "misinformation".

"Union Health Ministry has also clarified that possession of e-cigarettes in any form or quantity is a violation of the law. The law clearly specifies that violation can attract imprisonment of up to six months or a fine of up to Rs 50,000, or both, while contravention of the wider prohibition can attract imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh, or both, with higher punishment for repeat offences," the group said in its statement.

"In India, the law must stand above all else. Whether one is a celebrity or a common citizen, the same rules must apply," the group's spokesperson said, adding that public figures should not be allowed to make a mockery of a product category that India has already banned in the interest of public health.

The group also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks at the time of the ban in 2019, when he had cautioned against e-cigarettes being projected as a fashion statement and described them as a "new way of intoxication".

It said the presence of a vape-like device around a high-visibility cricketer on national television could send a wrong message to millions of young viewers.

The group called for an investigation into whether the incident was a "deliberate law-defying act, a reckless mistake, or a calculated attempt at publicity around a banned product".

While appreciating the BCCI for taking cognisance of the issue, the women's group urged the cricket board to adopt a zero-tolerance approach and ensure accountability.

"We are all seeing an unmistakable trend: multinational tobacco companies are desperate to keep vapes in public conversation and to normalise these devices in India despite the ban. In that context, it is legitimate to ask whether Riyan Parag was acting entirely on his own or whether this controversy served, intentionally or otherwise, as publicity for banned substances. We are asking for an investigation," the statement read.

The collective added that if Parag had no ill intent, he should clarify his position and cooperate with any inquiry. "He should voluntarily submit to due process. No celebrity can claim a different standard from the one applied to ordinary citizens," it said.

The group further said that Indian cricket cannot afford a conduct that "normalises a banned product before young viewers".

"The board must establish facts, enforce accountability, and send an unmistakable message that the law and the health of India's children come first," it said.

The collective reiterated that vaping is not a harmless lifestyle choice, warning that such products could act as gateway devices for adolescents, and that making strict enforcement and responsible public conduct essential.

"Our children do not just watch celebrities; they copy them. That is why this matter must be treated with seriousness, not casually dismissed as a momentary lapse," the group said.