NEW DELHI: Congress MP KC Venugopal on Tuesday filed a privilege notice against PM Narendra Modi, calling his national address after the defeat of a bill to amend the women’s reservation law in Lok Sabha contempt of the House. He said the speech criticising opposition members interferes with the MP’s independent discharge of parliamentary duties.He also termed the PM’s televised address on Saturday a violation of the model code of conduct. Assembly polls are scheduled in Bengal and Tamil Nadu.Submitting the notice, he urged Speaker Om Birla to refer it to the committee of privileges for a probe so that proceedings can be initiated against the Prime Minister.In his notice, Venugopal asserted it is a settled constitutional norm (Article 105) that aspersions cannot be cast on, and motives cannot be imputed to, the speech and voting by a member in Parliament, and doing so is tantamount to a deliberate breach of privilege and contempt of the House. The notice has been submitted under Rule 222 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in LS.He said the PM’s 29-minute speech, termed “address to the nation”, made direct reflections on the voting pattern of opposition members and attributed motives to them.
