KC Venugopal files breach of privilege notice against PM Narendra Modi

Congress General Secretary (Organisation) and Lok Sabha member KC Venugopal, on Tuesday, submitted a breach of privilege notice in Parliament against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his April 18 address to the nation after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill was defeated in the Lok Sabha.

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In his notice, the MP from Alappuzha termed PM Modi's criticism of the Opposition as an "unethical and blatant abuse of power," stating that imputing motives to Opposition MPs accounts for breach of privilege. "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... Addressing the Nation by the Prime Minister on Government not able to muster the requisite majority in Parliament, for criticising the Opposition parties, is unprecedented, which is unethical and a 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's notice read.

Opposition's Stance on the Bill

The Congress leader reiterated that the Opposition wanted one-third reservation for women legislators, while it opposed the delimitation exercise. He argued that the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill struck at the root of the basic structure of the Constitution. He said, "On April 16 and 17, members from the Opposition parties each and every member, had categorically stated that they unanimously supported reservation for women in Lok Sabha. In this regard, the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act 2023 was unanimously adopted by both Houses of Parliament way back in September 2023. As a matter of fact, the Opposition specifically demanded that the reservation of women in the Lok Sabha be urgently implemented, fast-tracking all the requirements as enunciated in the Constitution and other statutory provisions. In so far as the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill 2026, in the guise of implementing Women's reservations in Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies, surreptitiously sought to amend Article 82 of the Constitution inasmuch 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."

'Gross Breach of Privilege': Venugopal's Notice

"This is what the Opposition members in Lok Sabha were protesting, while already stated expressing their unequivocal support to reservation for women in Lok Sabha in terms of the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023. 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 a gross breach of privilege and contempt of the House. As a matter of fact the pernicious Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill 2026, which sought to strike at the very roots of the basic structure of the Constitution of India, fell and rightly so. It is appalling that the Prime Minister, who wanted this Constitution Amendment Bill to pass was so annoyed that he chose to address the Nation, casting aspersions on Members of Parliament who were honestly performing their duties, in this case protecting the Constitution," the notice read.

He stated that it is a parliamentary convention not to reflect upon the conduct or voting by any MP. He said, "It is a time-honoured parliamentary convention and a fundamental privilege of every Member (protected under Article 105 of the Constitution of India) that 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. Any such reflection or imputation directly undermines the dignity and authority of the House and interferes with the free and independent discharge of parliamentary duties by its Members. Apart from the violation of the Model Code of Conduct, the Prime Minister's speech on national television, therefore, amounts to a clear and serious breach of the privilege of the House and of every Member of the Opposition." "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 notice read.

Jairam Ramesh Echoes Criticism

Sharing a copy of the breach of privilege notice, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh alleged that PM Modi indulged in "unabashed partisan demagoguery" which he said is a "permanent stain" on his record. "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. 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," Jairam Ramesh wrote on X.

PM Modi's Counter-Allegation

This comes after Prime Minister Modi pointed out that the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill is a direct blow to the self-respect of women, an insult that the female electorate will permanently engrave in their memories. "Women may forget everything else, but they never forget an insult to their pride," PM Modi said. The Prime Minister said "the sin committed by the opposition" will bring them punishment from the people.

CPI MP Alleges Model Code of Conduct Breach

Earlier, CPI MP, P Sandosh Kumar raised concerns over the timing and content of the Prime Minister's address, alleging a breach of the Model Code of Conduct in the wake of elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. He alleged that the speech was political in nature and aimed at influencing voters during the election period. P Sandosh Kumar alleged that PM Modi used state resources, including public broadcasters Doordarshan and Sansad TV, for making partisan assertions. (ANI)