‘Casting Aspersions On MPs’: Congress Gives Privilege Notice Against PM Modi Over His Address To Nation

Last Updated:April 21, 2026, 16:40 IST

"Such statements by the highest executive functionary of the country constitute a serious breach of privilege and contempt of the House," Venugopal alleged.

Congress leader KC Venugopal has submitted a privilege notice against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of casting aspersions on opposition MPs during his address to the nation last week.

The notice has been addressed to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, escalating tensions between the government and the opposition after the rejection of the bills by the House on implementing women’s reservation in 2029.

In a letter to the speaker, the Congress speaker said that “imputing motives" to members for their voting behaviour is a deliberate breach of privilege and contempt of the House, he alleged and urged Birla to refer the matter to the Committee on Privileges of the Lok Sabha for a detailed inquiry.

In his notice submitted under Rule 222 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, he claimed that on April 18, the Prime Minister addressed the nation on national television, following the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha on April 17, 2026.

He said that in his 29-minute speech, the Prime Minister came down heavily 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.

Venugopal 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 further said that 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".

“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," the notice said.

Meanwhile, over 700 citizens, including former civil servants, academics, activists, and journalists, have written to the Election Commission of India alleging violation of the Model Code of Conduct by PM Modi during his address to the nation on April 18.

In a letter addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner on April 20, the activists claimed that the Prime Minister’s address on Women’s Reservation Bill amounted to “electioneering and partisan propaganda" during the MCC period.

What Was In PM Modi’s Address?

In his address to the nation on April 18, PM Modi described the Nari Shakti initiative as a “great yajna" aimed at empowering women in the 21st century. He also accused the Congress and its allies of spreading false information regarding the delimitation process, alleging that misleading narratives were being used to create confusion among the public.

He said that the amendment was designed to grant women their long-pending rights, delayed for decades, beginning with the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

The address came a day after a key women’s reservation bill failed to pass in Parliament. The Lok Sabha witnessed a heated debate on Friday over the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which proposed increasing the total number of seats from 543 to 816.

(With inputs from agencies)

News politics ‘Casting Aspersions On MPs’: Congress Gives Privilege Notice Against PM Modi Over His Address To Nation

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