3 min readNew DelhiApr 22, 2026 01:53 AM IST
The Congress on Tuesday moved a privilege notice against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly “casting aspersions” on the “independence and integrity” of elected MPs in his address to the nation on April 18.
The Prime Minister addressed the nation on April 18, a day after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill-2026 was defeated in the Lok Sabha, for failing to secure the required two-thirds majority as required under the provisions of Article 368 of the Constitution.
In the notice submitted to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Congress MP K C Venugopal said: “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.”
Venugopal said the PM used the word ‘bhroon hatya’ (foeticide) to attack the opposition for blocking the passage of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill-2026, and two related Bills.
He said using the address to “criticise 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,” said Venugopal.
He said that “it is well established that casting reflections and aspersions, 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”.
“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 MPs who were honestly performing their duties, in this case, protecting the Constitution,” said the Congress MP.
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“Hence these observations by the Prime Minister cast aspersions on the independence and integrity of elected members of Parliament, question the manner in which members of the Opposition exercised their parliamentary duties; and attribute motives to their voting behaviour,” he said.
Venugopal said that it was a time-honoured parliamentary convention and a fundamental privilege of every member (protected under Article 105 of the Constitution) 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,” he said.
Asking Birla to treat the matter with “utmost seriousness”, Venugopal said 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,” said Venugopal in the letter.
