- Congress MP filed privilege notice against Prime Minister Modi.
- Notice alleges PM breached parliamentary privilege in televised address.
- Row linked to constitutional amendment bill’s defeat in Lok Sabha.
- Congress leader calls PM’s remarks an affront to Parliament.
Congress Privilege Notice Against PM: A fresh political confrontation has emerged after Congress MP K. C. Venugopal submitted a privilege notice against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of breaching parliamentary privilege through remarks made during his recent televised address to the nation.
The notice has been addressed to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, escalating tensions between the government and the opposition following the defeat of a key constitutional amendment bill.
Privilege Notice Filed Under Rule 222
In his letter, Venugopal invoked Rule 222 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, alleging that the Prime Minister made statements that cast aspersions on Members of Parliament.
“I hereby give a notice of question of privilege under provisions of Rule 222 of 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,” it said, as per report.
The leader argued that such remarks undermine the dignity of elected representatives and the institution of Parliament itself.
Row Linked To Defeat Of Amendment Bill
The controversy stems from the Prime Minister’s April 18 address, delivered a day after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 was defeated in the Lok Sabha. The legislation failed to secure the mandatory two-thirds majority required under Article 368 of the Constitution of India.
In his 29-minute speech, Modi criticised opposition parties for blocking the bill and referred to their voting patterns, attributing motives to their actions—remarks that have now triggered allegations of privilege breach.
‘Direct Affront To Parliament’: Venugopal
Venugopal maintained that the Prime Minister’s comments crossed a constitutional line by questioning MPs for performing their legislative duties.
“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,” he wrote.
He urged the Speaker to take “immediate and decisive steps” to safeguard parliamentary sanctity and prevent recurrence of such instances.
Congress Rallies Behind Move
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also backed the move, stating that the notice followed what he termed the Prime Minister’s “so-called address to the nation” after the bill’s defeat.
Ramesh described the legislation as part of the government’s “nefarious designs” and credited its failure to “absolute Opposition unity and solidarity.”
