CPI MP Binoy Viswam submits privilege notice against PM Narendra Modi

CPI Parliamentary Party leader Binoy Viswam on Sunday submitted a privilege notice against Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing him of misleading the Rajya Sabha during his reply to Motion of Thanks to the President's speech by misrepresenting the statements made by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

In his notice submitted to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, Viswam alleged that the Prime Minister attempted to "manipulate" the remarks of Vijayan to "serve his own political agenda".

While replying to the Motion of Thanks, Viswam quoted Modi as saying, "Kerala's Left Front should understand it a little more. Before coming here, they should have come to know what the Chief Minister of Kerala has said. He said in the Legislative Assembly that the extremist groups were involved in holding protests in Kerala. Not only this, he has also warned of stern action."

The Prime Minister implied that the Kerala Government "believes" the ongoing nationwide protests against the CAA-NRC-NPR are being organised by extremist elements and "thereby sought to delegitimise" the people's movement, the Rajya Sabha MP from Kerala said.

Viswam said a perusal of the Chief Minister response in the Assembly on February 3 makes it clear that his comments were with reference to the activities of "one particular extremist outfit, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI)" and he clearly stated that there have been attempts by the outfit to infiltrate and divert the protests.

"It is imperative to note that the CM under no circumstances questioned the legitimacy of the people’s movement against the CAA, nor suggested that extremist elements were organising these protests, as was implied by the Prime Minister in his speech," he said in the notice.

"The Kerala Government has unequivocally supported the democratic right of the people to protest and has also unanimously passed a resolution in the state''s legislature demanding the withdrawal of the controversial Citizenship (Amendment( Act. In light of this, I urge you to take notice of this breach of privilege and ensue proceedings in this regard," Viswam said.