India’s Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has renewed his challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a one-on-one public debate, claiming he has evidence to expose who is controlled by foreign powers and who is “anti-national”.
In a series of video clips released by the Congress party on Friday, Gandhi said Modi’s political career would be over if he agreed to debate him publicly, reports Hindustan Times.
“I keep repeating it: the Prime Minister’s political career – mark my words, the Prime Minister’s political career will be over if he comes and debates me. He knows that and I know that,” Gandhi said.
Accusing Modi of repeatedly branding him “anti-national”, Gandhi said he wanted to expose who was actually working against India’s interests and who was controlling whom.
He said he did not want a conventional parliamentary-style exchange in which both sides delivered lengthy speeches.
“I want Narendra Modi to make allegations against me and I want to make allegations against him,” he said.
Asked whether he had evidence to support his claims, Gandhi pointed to his mobile phone.
“The proof is here. It’s in this phone. The Prime Minister knows it because he taps my phone,” he said, alleging that the contents would reveal who was controlled by foreign powers and who was “anti-national”.
Gandhi also claimed that the debate would expose when and how the alleged foreign influence began. The BJP had not issued an immediate response to his latest remarks.
Why is Rahul Gandhi demanding a public debate?
Explaining why he wanted a public debate rather than an exchange in Parliament, Gandhi said he had been prevented from raising several issues in the House.
Speaking during an “Ask Me” session on Instagram, he said, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI), that he had not been allowed to speak on the farm laws, alleged vote theft, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, China, former army chief General MM Naravane’s book and the Jeffrey Epstein case.
“I want a one-on-one debate. I don’t want a debate entailing long speeches,” he said.
Gandhi’s latest challenge follows an escalating exchange between the ruling BJP and the Opposition.
Speaking at an interaction with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Bastar, Modi said India had won its decades-long battle against Naxalism but claimed that “dimagi Naxals” had infiltrated political parties and organisations.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also accused Gandhi of avoiding parliamentary debates, saying the government was prepared to discuss the SIR exercise.
“Rahul holds a copy of the Constitution in his hand but respects neither the document nor the position he holds,” Shah said at a BJP workers’ rally on October 30.
Gandhi’s debate challenge came after the BJP questioned the Opposition’s motives behind its campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of electoral malpractice and the revision of voter rolls.
The Congress leader had previously alleged that Modi became and remained prime minister with “foreign help” and claimed that India’s financial system was “backed by foreign forces”.
