Congress gives privilege notice against PM Modi for 'casting aspersions' on MPs during address to nation

COngress leader KC Venugopal has written to the Lok Sabha verbalizer, submitting a favor note against ground government minister Narendra Modi for “casting aspersions” on MPs during his address to the nation.In a letter to Om Birla, KC 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.”Also Read | Did PM Modi's national address violate MCC? Why 700 citizens have moved ECWhat did Venugopal's notice say?Referring to the events leading up to the address, Venugopal said that on April 18, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on national television following the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha on April 17, which failed to secure the required two-thirds majority under the provisions of Article 368 of the Constitution.He said that in the 29-minute speech, described as an address to the nation, the prime minister criticised Opposition parties for blocking the bill and made direct references to the voting pattern of Opposition members, attributing motives to them.“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.Also Read | ‘We may not have numbers, but we have resolve’: Top quotes from PM's addressJairam Ramesh on Venugopal's letter“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,” Congress MP Jairam Ramesh wrote on X. “A sitting PM’s address to the nation has always been reserved for the overriding purpose of national unity and confidence-building. 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,” he added, referring to the Indian National Congress.The government’s Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which proposed implementing women’s reservation and increasing the strength of the Lok Sabha to 816 seats, was defeated in the Lower House on Friday.