Rahul Gandhi renews public debate challenge as Amit Shah says the government is ready to answer
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi again pressed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to face a public debate on foreign influence and electoral concerns, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the government was prepared to discuss the issues in a special parliamentary session.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi reiterated his invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an open debate on allegations of foreign influence, the country's financial system and other issues, casting the demand as a public test of accountability for a government he says avoids scrutiny. Gandhi posted on X that the discussion should be held in front of the media and youth, and suggested that any moderator chosen by Modi, including Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat, could preside over the debate.
"It has been 24 hours, Modi ji. I have challenged you. You say that the Opposition is anti-national. Pick any stage, any venue, and debate me. Who is anti-national? Who has links with foreign forces and what kind of connections are they? Do it as soon as possible. Don't be afraid," Gandhi wrote in Hindi.
Gandhi also asked why a recent deal with the United States was negotiated quickly and without apparent Cabinet involvement, and raised questions about the closure of the Gautam Adani case and the Jeffrey Epstein matter. He noted that he faces around 45 defamation cases but none related to his remarks on foreign connections, inviting the Prime Minister to pursue legal action if desired, while underscoring what he portrays as a double standard in political accountability.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah responded during a visit to Raipur, stating that the government is prepared to discuss every issue in Parliament, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, electronic voting machines and alleged infiltration. Shah said a special parliamentary session could be convened and challenged Gandhi to a debate from Hyderabad, presenting the government's line as open while defending its record.
BJP Member of Parliament Nishikant Dubey also posted on X, offering to meet Gandhi at the Congress office to debate the documents and alleged foreign links.
The exchange follows recent remarks by Prime Minister Modi, who accused unnamed forces of dividing the country and labeled the Opposition as an obstructionist force. Gandhi had earlier claimed that Modi's tenure was sustained by foreign assistance and called for a public discussion to separate truth from allegations, turning the dispute into a broader argument over transparency, institutional trust and democratic accountability.