NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag has found himself in a spot of bother after cameras caught him allegedly using a vape-like device in the dressing room during his team’s match against Punjab Kings at the Mullanpur Cricket Stadium on April 28. The visual went viral faster than a six over deep midwicket, sparking a social media frenzy over both the discipline of young cricketers and the legality of such devices under Indian law.
Now, Mothers Against Vaping - a collective of mothers who have apparently decided that someone needs to parent the nation - has demanded an inquiry into the incident. The group cited the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019, which bans the production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage, and advertisement of electronic cigarettes in India. They also swatted away claims that vaping indoors exists in some legal “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 group said in a statement, helpfully noting that violators can face up to six months in prison or a fine of up to Rs 50,000 - or both - while repeat offenders can be slapped with up to a year in jail or a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh, or both. “In India, the law must stand above all else. Whether one is a celebrity or a common citizen, the same rules must apply,” a spokesperson added, perhaps anticipating the inevitable “but he’s a star” defense.
The group didn’t stop at pointing out the obvious. It suggested that Parag’s on-screen puffery might not be entirely innocent. “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, before delivering the kicker: “Indian cricket cannot afford conduct that normalises a banned product before young viewers.”
The group concluded with a warning that vaping is not a harmless lifestyle choice, but a potential gateway device for adolescents. “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. So for now, the ball is in the BCCI’s court - and the question is whether it will swing towards accountability or just let it go for a wide.