Kiren Rijiju Fires Back at Rahul Gandhi’s Debate Call With a Seven-Point Lecture
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Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju posted a seven-point response on X to Rahul Gandhi’s demand for an open debate with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, instead chastising the opposition leader to stay in India, participate seriously in Parliament, and drop the inflammatory politics that has long poisoned public discourse.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju posted a seven-point list on X in response to Rahul Gandhi’s repeated requests for an open debate with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rather than engaging the substance of the challenge, Rijiju leaned into a familiar attack mode, suggesting that the Congress leader should spend more time in India, stop making frequent foreign trips, and take parliamentary proceedings more seriously.
"Spend more time in India and avoid secret foreign vacations frequently," Rijiju wrote.
He also lectured Gandhi on respecting senior politicians, described the BJP as a political opponent rather than an enemy, and demanded an end to what he called anti-India rhetoric — language that critics say is often used to shut down dissent instead of addressing it.
"Respect seniors and gain valuable wisdom from the elders, which is Indian tradition," the minister added.
Rijiju pointed to a recent parliamentary incident in which opposition members walked out during his address, using it to insist on the importance of debate and discussion in the legislature, even as his own response underscored the increasingly combative and performative nature of the government’s politics.
"Parliament is the house for debates and discussion. But people who don't believe in democracy, debates and discussion are talking about debate," he wrote alongside the video clip.
The exchange follows Gandhi’s recent challenge to Modi for a public debate and his allegations that the prime minister is acting with foreign assistance, comments that have also prompted responses from other cabinet members.