New Delhi, 21 April (H.S.):

Congress General Secretary (Organisation) and Lok Sabha PAC Chairman K.C. Venugopal submitted a breach of privilege notice Tuesday against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his April 18 address to the nation, alleging it violated parliamentary privileges by questioning opposition MPs' voting patterns and intentions.

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Venugopal's letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla claims Modi's speech—delivered a day after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill 2026 failed in Lok Sabha—constituted power abuse and democratic tradition violation.

The Congress leader accused Modi of casting doubts on opposition MPs' motives during voting on women's reservation, breaching Article 105 protections.

Opposition MPs unanimously supported women's quota on April 16-17, referencing the 2023 'Nari Shakti Vandan' (106th Amendment). Venugopal argued the 131st Bill sought to amend Article 82, removing delimitation safeguards—prompting legitimate opposition, not anti-women stance.

Questioning opposition intentions constitutes direct assault on parliamentary dignity and MPs' autonomy, Venugopal asserted. He emphasized parliamentary convention prohibits commenting on members' speeches or votes—even by the Prime Minister—labeling it conduct code violation and privilege breach.

Venugopal urged immediate referral to the Privilege Committee for proceedings against Modi, arguing the national platform sanctity demands protection from partisan attacks.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar