Venugopal gives privilege notice against PM in LS for ‘casting aspersions’ on members

New Delhi (PTI): Congress MP K C Venugopal on Tuesday submitted a privilege notice to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the PM committed a breach of privilege during his address to the nation last week by “casting aspersions” on members of the Lower House. In a letter to Birla, Venugopal said, “I hereby give a notice of question of privilege under provisions of Rule 222 of the the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha against the Prime Minister of India for having cast aspersions on Members of Lok Sabha during his address/speech telecast on 18 April, 2026.” On April 18, the prime minister addressed the nation on national television, following the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill. 2026 in Lok Sabha on April 17, which failed to secure the required two-thirds majority as required under the provisions of Article 368 of the Constitution, he said. In the 29-minute speech termed as address to the nation, the prime minister criticised opposition parties for blocking the bill and made direct reflections on the voting pattern of Members of the Opposition and attributed motives to them, he said. This matter deserves to be treated with the utmost seriousness, as questioning an elected representative performing his duty is not merely a personal assault but a direct affront to the authority of Parliament and to the democratic rights of the people of India, Venugopal said. “I urge you, the Hon’ble Speaker, to take immediate and decisive steps to uphold the sanctity of Parliament and the constitutional protections afforded to its members, so that such violations are neither ignored nor repeated,” he said. Tagging Venugopal’s letter, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, “My senior colleague in the Lok Sabha, KC Venugopal, has issued a notice of question of privilege against the Prime Minister for his so-called address to the nation following the defeat of his nefarious designs in the Lok Sabha by something he did not expect—absolute Opposition unity and solidarity.” A sitting PM’s address to the nation has always been reserved for the overriding purpose of national unity and confidence-building, he said. “The Prime Minister’s unabashed partisan demagoguery during this address – with 59 different attacks on the Congress party – will be yet another permanent stain on his record as Prime Minister,” Ramesh said. The government’s Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to implement women’s quota and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 was defeated in the Lower House on Friday last.