New Delhi

K. C. Venugopal on Tuesday submitted a privilege notice to Om Birla against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the prime minister breached parliamentary privilege by making remarks against members of the Lok Sabha during his recent address to the nation.

In a letter to the Speaker, Venugopal said the notice was being filed under Rule 222 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha. He accused Modi of “casting aspersions” on MPs during a speech broadcast on April 18.

The address came a day after the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, which failed to secure the required two-thirds majority under Article 368 of the Constitution.

According to Venugopal, the prime minister criticised opposition parties for blocking the legislation and commented on the voting behaviour of opposition MPs while attributing motives to them. He argued that questioning elected representatives for performing their parliamentary duties amounted to an attack on Parliament’s authority and the democratic rights of citizens.

He urged the Speaker to take prompt action to preserve the dignity of Parliament and protect the constitutional privileges of its members.

Jairam Ramesh also shared the letter publicly and backed the move. He said a prime minister’s address to the nation has traditionally been reserved for moments requiring unity and reassurance, and criticised the speech as partisan in tone.

Ramesh further alleged that the address repeatedly targeted the Indian National Congress and described it as an inappropriate use of the platform.

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The defeated bill had proposed implementation of women’s reservation and an increase in the strength of the Lok Sabha to 816 seats.