After Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were called to a public debate by two former judges and a prominent journalist, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday that he or party chairman Mallikarjun Kharge would be happy to take part and hoped that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would accept the invitation.
Gandhi said he and Kharge agreed “such a debate will help people understand our respective vision”.
In his letter to former Supreme Court judge Madan B Lokur, former HC Chief Justice AP Shah and journalist N Ram, Gandhi said, “It is also critical to put to rest any unsubstantiated allegations attributed to our respective parties…Accordingly, either myself or the Congress President would be pleased to participate in such a debate.”
Rahul Gandhi on Friday said in Lucknow that he was 100 per cent prepared to be a part of a debate with PM Modi. He, however, added that he knew that the prime minister would not agree to the proposal.
BJP asks ‘Who is Rahul Gandhi?’
In a quick countermove, the Bharatiya Janata Party questioned if Rahul Gandhi was the Congress’s nominee for prime minister.
“Who is Rahul Gandhi that PM Modi should debate with him? Rahul Gandhi isn’t even the PM candidate of Congress, let alone the INDI Alliance. Let him first get himself declared as Congress’s PM candidate, state he will take accountability for his party’s defeat, and then invite PM for a debate. Until then, we are ready to depute our BJYM spokespersons to take him on in any debate,” BJP MP Tejasvi Surya posted on X.
Smriti Irani, union minister and candidate from Amethi reacted and said, “First, the person who does not have the courage to contest against a normal BJP worker in his so-called castle, should refrain from boasting. Second, who wants to sit at level with PM Modi and have a debate, I want to ask him if he is a PM candidate of the INDI alliance.”
BJP national spokesperson and former Congress leader, Jaiveer Shergill tweeted, “Rahul Gandhi track record in Parliament: Attendance: 51% National Average: 79% No of Debates: 8 National Average: 46.7% No of Q’s raised: 99 National Average: 210. Running away from Parliament, Running away from Amethi, Running away from Accountability (leaving post of Party President & not becoming LoP) but still feeling “entitled” to debate PM @narendramodi? Debating with runaway hobby politicians is not worth Modi Ji’s time ! Clearly no one taught Rahul Gandhi the basic rule ‘first deserve then desire. (sic)”