Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member K C Venugopal on Friday submitted a notice of privilege against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the House for his alleged defamatory remarks against Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, both Lok Sabha members, in a speech in the first part of the current Budget Session.

In a letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, Venugopal wrote that he was submitting the notice under Rule 188 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Rajya Sabha against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for having cast reflections upon Members of Parliament during his reply on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address on 9th February, 2023.

Replying to a debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s address, Venugopal quoted Modi having stated in the House in Hindi “…if Nehru ji’s name is left out by us, we would correct our mistake as he was the first prime minister of the country. But I do not understand why anyone from his generation (peedhee) is afraid of keeping Nehru surname? Is there any shame in having the Nehru surname? What is the shame? When the family is not ready to accept such a great personality, why do you keep questioning us,” he said.

These remarks, he said, “made in a mocking manner are not only disgraceful but also insulting and defamatory vis-a-vis the members of Nehru family particularly Smt Sonia Gandhi and Shri Rahul Gandhi who are members of Lok Sabha”.

In his notice, Venugopal wrote: “At the outset, I would like to say that the very suggestion by the prime minister why they did not take Nehru as a surname is preposterous by its very nature. The Prime Minister on that day knew very well that the surname of the father is not taken by the daughter,” he wrote.

“Despite knowing that he deliberately mocked. Besides this, there is no need for further elaboration. Furthermore, the tone and tenor of the remark is insinuating and derogatory in nature. This clearly amounts to a casting reflection upon Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Shri Rahul Gandhi by the Prime Minister which breaches upon their privileges and also tantamounts to contempt of the House,” Venugopal added.

The Congress leader wrote, “I seek privilege proceedings against Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, for having made derogatory, insulting, distasteful and defamatory remarks against Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Shri Rahul Gandhi which has amounted to breach of their privileges and contempt of the House.”