CPI MP Binoy Viswam moves privilege motion against PM Modi; accuses him of misleading Parliament

NEW DELHI: Communist party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam on Sunday moved a privilege motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly misleading Rajya Sabha while replying to the Motion of Thanks to the President's speech. Viswam alleged Modi “misrepresented” a speech made by Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the Kerala assembly, while speaking in Rajya Sabha.
Normally, references to state legislatures and heads of state are not permitted in the either House of Parliament, and references, especially those deemed unparliamentary, are expunged from the official records.
In his notice to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, Viswam alleged that Modi attempted to “manipulate” the Vijayan’s remarks to “serve his own political agenda”. Quoting the PM’s reply to the Motion of Thanks, Viswam referred to the parts of Modi’s reply where he had alluded to Vijayan’s address in the state assembly claiming that “extremist groups were involved in holding protests in Kerala”.
In his privilege notice, Viswam alleged the PM “sought to delegitimize the democratic people’s movement” against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), NRC and NPR and also attacked copies of Vijayan’s speech in the Kerala assembly on February 3.
He also said Vijayan, in his speech, referred to activities of one extremist outfit — Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) — and its efforts to infiltrate and divert the democratic people’s movement, adding that the Kerala 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.
This is the second privilege motion filed by Viswam against the BJP top brass. Last year, the CPI MP had moved a privilege motion against home minister Amit Shah for his “divergent” statements on NRC inside and outside Parliament. Speaking to TOI, Viswam said no decision has been taken on his earlier motion yet.