'No long speeches': Rahul renews debate challenge to PM Modi with a 'guarantee'

Rahul Gandhi again dares PM Modi to one-on-one debate, offers Adani, Bhagwat as judges NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday renewed his challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a one-on-one public debate, claiming that the prime minister would not remain in office after facing him in a direct exchange.During an 'Ask Me' session on Instagram, the Congress MP was asked why he continued to insist on a public debate when the BJP had said the discussion could take place in Parliament.The leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha said he was not allowed to speak freely in the House and alleged that his microphone had been switched off."You did not let me talk on the farm bills, vote chori, SIR, China, on (Gen) Naravane's book, Epstein. I want a one-on-one debate. I don't want a debate entailing long speeches," he said. The Raebareli MP proposed a direct exchange in which both leaders could make allegations against each other, rather than deliver lengthy speeches."I want that Narendra Modi makes allegations against me and I do the same to him. He can come; there will be a table, on one side there will be Narendra Modi ji and on the other side, it would be me," he said. He added that he would have no objection if Adani Group chairperson Gautam Adani or Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat was appointed to judge the debate."But I guarantee that the prime minister will not remain the PM after a one-on-one debate with me," Rahul said. Rahul has repeatedly challenged Modi to debate The Congress leader has made several public calls for PM Modi to face him in an open debate. He had earlier claimed that it would take him just five minutes to establish that the prime minister was a "traitor".In a series of posts and videos shared on X last week, Rahul also challenged PM Modi to debate allegations concerning foreign influence, national security and who was anti-national.In one video, he said 24 hours had passed since he first issued the challenge and urged the prime minister to choose any venue. He proposed that the discussion take place in front of the media and the country's youth, with both leaders seated across a table and PM Modi choosing the moderator or judge. Rahul had suggested Bhagwat for the role.In another post, former Congress president renewed the challenge while responding to PM Modi's 'Dimagi Naxal' remarks. Addressing CRPF personnel who had attended the prime minister's Diwali event in Bastar, he claimed their expressions suggested they did not agree with PM Modi's comments."Your faces said it all: you didn't buy the PM's lies. He called us Naxals," Gandhi wrote.He also said the debate should address who was anti-national and who was controlled by foreign forces. BJP dismisses challenge BJP leaders have scoffed at Rahul's repeated calls for a debate, alleging that he has avoided discussions in Parliament. Union home minister Amit Shah has challenged Rahul to debate him in Parliament, asking him to bring his allegations and arguments to the House instead of taking political debate to the streets."If you (Rahul Gandhi) wish to engage in a responsible discussion—if your concerns hold truth, substance, and logic—then come and discuss them inside Parliament. Let’s face each other head-on! But you won’t be able to handle the answers; as always, you will just run away," Shah said at a rally in Karnal, Haryana.Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has also said that Parliament already provides a platform for such an exchange and urged the Congress MP to show "some seriousness and responsibility" in his role as the leader of the opposition.Rahul's latest remarks come amid the continuing political exchange between the Congress and the BJP over his allegations against Modi and the prime minister's criticism of the opposition.