The Congress party has filed a notice of breach of privilege in the Lok Sabha against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which has once again increased the political tension within the Parliament. The party alleges that the Prime Minister, in his recent ‘Address to the Nation’, made objectionable remarks on the rights and intentions of the opposition MPs, which is against parliamentary decorum.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal on Tuesday submitted a formal letter in this regard to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. In his letter, he said that the Prime Minister, in his nearly 29-minute long address, accused the opposition parties of blocking the Women’s Reservation Bill and also raised questions on the voting behavior of the opposition MPs and the intentions behind their decisions.
Congress says that these comments made by the Prime Minister not only hurt the dignity of opposition MPs, but also violate parliamentary traditions and rules. Calling it a serious issue, the party has said that publicly questioning the intentions of elected representatives is a violation of parliamentary privilege.
Venugopal has also demanded in his letter that this entire matter be sent to the Privilege Committee of the Lok Sabha so that it can be investigated in detail. The Congress has also urged that the process of necessary action be initiated against the Prime Minister, so that parliamentary dignity is not affected by such comments in future.
After this development, political rhetoric inside and outside the Parliament is likely to intensify. Opposition parties believe that the government should follow parliamentary decorum both inside and outside the House, while the ruling party has often termed such allegations as a political reaction.
Notice of breach of privilege is a serious process in Parliament, in which conduct by any member or official that derogates from the dignity of the House is investigated. If the matter is referred to the Privileges Committee, further recommendations are made after its detailed review. At present this issue has increased the political temperature and in the coming days a heated debate can be seen in the Parliament on this issue.
