A fresh political controversy has erupted in Parliament after senior Congress leader KC Venugopal filed a privilege notice against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of making remarks that allegedly cast aspersions on Members of Parliament during a televised address to the nation.

In a letter addressed to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Venugopal invoked Rule 222 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha, demanding action over comments made by the Prime Minister in his national address aired on April 18, 2026.

The Congress leader stated that the Prime Minister’s speech came a day after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 was defeated in the Lok Sabha on April 17, after failing to secure the required two-thirds majority under Article 368 of the Constitution.

According to Venugopal, the Prime Minister, in his nearly 29-minute address, criticised Opposition parties for obstructing the bill and made specific references to how Opposition MPs voted. He further alleged that the Prime Minister attributed intent and motives to the voting behaviour of elected representatives.

Venugopal argued that such remarks go beyond political criticism and amount to questioning the conduct of Members of Parliament while they were performing their constitutional duties. He said this undermines the dignity of Parliament and weakens democratic norms.

The Congress leader urged the Speaker to take immediate and strong action, stating that allowing such statements to go unchecked would set a “dangerous precedent” for parliamentary democracy. He also stressed the need to protect the institutional integrity of Parliament and ensure that elected representatives are not publicly portrayed in a manner that, according to him, damages their credibility.