K C Venugopal Takes a Stand: Privilege Notice Filed Against PM Modi Over Women's Reservation Bill Remarks

Congress Leader's Bold Move

New Delhi: K C Venugopal, a prominent Congress figure, has lodged a privilege notice with the Lok Sabha Speaker, targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He accuses the PM of undermining Opposition MPs during a national address following the rejection of the women's reservation bills for 2029.

Venugopal claims that attributing motives to MPs regarding their voting decisions constitutes a serious breach of privilege and contempt of the House. He has requested Speaker Om Birla to escalate the issue to the Committee on Privileges for thorough investigation.

In his notice, submitted under Rule 222 of the Lok Sabha's procedural guidelines, Venugopal highlighted that Modi's address on April 18, 2026, came after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 was defeated in the Lok Sabha the previous day.

The bill failed to achieve the necessary two-thirds majority as stipulated by Article 368 of the Constitution.

During the 29-minute address, which Venugopal referred to as an 'address to the nation', the Prime Minister criticized the Opposition for obstructing the bill and made pointed remarks about their voting behavior.

Venugopal emphasized that casting doubt on the integrity of Parliament members regarding their speeches is a significant breach of privilege and contempt.

He urged the Speaker to recognize this incident as a serious violation and to initiate privilege proceedings against the Prime Minister.

The Congress leader stressed that questioning the actions of elected representatives is not just a personal attack but also an affront to the authority of Parliament and the democratic rights of Indian citizens.

He called for immediate action to uphold the dignity of Parliament and protect its members from such violations.

Venugopal criticized the Prime Minister's actions as unprecedented and unethical, arguing that it represents a misuse of power.

He stated that such remarks from the highest office in the country are a serious breach of privilege and contempt.

In response to Venugopal's notice, Congress communications head Jairam Ramesh remarked that a Prime Minister's address should focus on national unity rather than partisan attacks.

Ramesh noted that Modi's speech included 59 criticisms of the Congress party, marking a troubling precedent in his tenure.

Venugopal further explained that the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill 2026, while purporting to implement women's reservation, aimed to amend Article 82 of the Constitution, potentially undermining the delimitation process and leaving it vulnerable to the ruling party's whims.

He asserted that the bill's failure was justified, emphasizing that the Prime Minister's disparaging comments about MPs were unwarranted, especially as they were acting to uphold the Constitution.

The Prime Minister's remarks, according to Venugopal, undermine the independence and integrity of Parliament members and question their voting conduct.

He reiterated that parliamentary convention, protected under Article 105 of the Constitution, prohibits anyone, including the Prime Minister, from reflecting on or attributing motives to a member's conduct.

Such reflections compromise the dignity and authority of the House and disrupt the independent execution of parliamentary responsibilities.

Venugopal concluded by stating that the Prime Minister's televised speech also violates the Model Code of Conduct, representing a serious breach of privilege for the House and its Opposition members.