PM’s address sparks privilege notice in LS

Congress leader KC Venugopal has moved a privilege notice against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha, accusing him of casting aspersions on opposition MPs during his address to the nation after the rejection of the Constitution (131) Amendment Bill, 2026 by the House.

In his notice submitted to the Speaker under Rule 222 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, Venugopal claimed that on April 18, 2026, the PM’s addressed the nation on national television, on April 17, 2026, alleging “Imputing motives” to MPs for their voting behaviour is a deliberate breach of privilege and contempt of the House.

Speaker Om Birla to refer the matter to the Committee on Privileges of the Lok Sabha for a detailed inquiry.

The Congress general secretary and MP from Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala said it is well established that casting reflections, aspersions and imputing motives to members of Parliament in regard to speeches made by them in Parliament tantamount to “gross breach of privilege and contempt of the House”.

“I therefore submit this notice of breach of privilege to your good office, Hon’ble Speaker, to take cognisance of this grave incident as a clear and deliberate breach of privilege and contempt of the House, and to refer the matter to the Committee on Privileges of the Lok Sabha for a detailed inquiry so that privilege proceedings can be initiated against the Prime Minister,” Venugopal said in his notice.

The Congress leader 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”.

The Congress leader said that the PM addressing the nation, after the government is not able to muster the requisite majority in Parliament, for criticising the Opposition parties is “unprecedented, unethical and blatant abuse of power”. “Such statements by the highest executive functionary of the country constitute a serious breach of privilege and contempt of the House,” Venugopal alleged.

Venugopal said in his notice that the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill 2026, “in the guise of implementing” Women’s reservation in Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies “surreptitiously sought to amend Article 82 of the Constitution in as much as by doing away with constitutional protection/guardrail vis a vis Delimitation and leave it to the whims and fancies and mala intents of the ruling party”, and this is what the opposition members were protesting.

He also claimed that under parliamentary convention and fundamental privilege of every Member (protected under Article 105 of the Constitution), no person, including the Prime Minister, shall reflect upon the conduct or voting of any Member in the House or attribute motives to such conduct.