Congress MP K.C. Venugopal on Tuesday (April 21, 2026) submitted a privilege notice to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the PM committed a breach of privilege during his address to the nation last week by "casting aspersions" on members of the Lower House.
In a letter to Mr. Birla, Mr. Venugopal said, "I hereby give a notice of question of privilege under provisions of Rule 222 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha against the Prime Minister of India for having cast aspersions on Members of Lok Sabha during his address/speech telecast on 18 April, 2026."
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On April 18, the Prime Minister addressed the nation on national television, following the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill 2026 in Lok Sabha on April 17, which failed to secure the required two-thirds majority as required under the provisions of Article 368 of the Constitution, he said.
In the 29-minute speech termed an 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, he said.
