TRS issues breach of privilege notice against PM Modi, alleging insult to Parliament

Four Rajya Sabha members of Telangana Rashtra Samithi on Thursday issued a notice to Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu. In it, he sought a privilege motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly “humiliating and defaming” Parliament.

TRS MPs K Keshava Rao, J Santosh Kumar, B Lingaiah Yadav and KR Suresh Reddy have signed the notice. In this, he referred to the Prime Minister’s comments on the passing of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Bill, when Modi thanked the President for his address to the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

‘Shameful statement by Modi on the passage of AP Reorganization Bill’
The MPs reminded that Modi had made statements on the passage of the AP Reorganization Bill in both houses of Parliament in a “very shameful manner”. It said, “This statement attempts to portray the Houses of Parliament in a very disgraceful and derogatory manner. It defames the procedures, proceedings and functioning of the House. It is concerned with the conduct in the House of the Members of Parliament and the Presiding Officers.” It’s like finding fault.”

TRS MPs walk out from the House
Deputy Chairman Harivansh said that the notice is currently under consideration before the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and unless he accepts it, no discussion can take place on it. Opposing this, TRS members later staged a walkout from the House. TRS members got support from Congress, Left parties and some other opposition parties including Trinamool Congress.

What did PM Modi say after all?
The Prime Minister, while replying to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address, had said that the then Congress government had divided Andhra Pradesh in a “very shameful” manner. He had said, “Mikes were switched off. Pepper sprayed, no discussion took place. Was this method right? Was it democracy, was it?”