NEW DELHI: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday responded to Congress leader and leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a public debate, saying the discussion should take place in Parliament rather than on the streets.
In a post on X, Sarma took a swipe at the Rae Bareli MP over his Diwali greeting to the Prime Minister, in which the Congress leader had wished Modi on the festival while holding a rose. “Dear Rahul ji, roses are given on Valentine’s Day, not on Diwali. Anyway, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will see you in Parliament,” Sarma wrote.
In a video shared on X, the Assam chief minister questioned whether Rahul was aware of his responsibilities as the leader of the opposition and said Parliament was the appropriate venue for a debate with the Prime Minister. “Rahul ji, yesterday you posted a video. You were holding a rose and wishing the Prime Minister a Happy Diwali. Rahul ji, roses are given on Valentine’s Day; they are not given on Diwali. Tell me one thing: are you even aware that you are the Leader of the Opposition? If you are the Leader of the Opposition and if you truly consider yourself to be one, then where is this debate with the Prime Minister supposed to take place? On the streets? In some alleyway? Or in Parliament?” Sarma said.
He also referred to the presence of the Lok Sabha Speaker and members of Rahul's family in Parliament, arguing that the debate could be held there.
Sarma said several issues, including the Bofors controversy and the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, could be taken up during a parliamentary debate. He urged former Congress president to initiate the discussion and ensure that proceedings were not disrupted. “There are plenty of issues to discuss, from Bofors to the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. This time, please ensure there is no ruckus in Parliament. You should initiate the debate; the Prime Minister will respond, and all these issues can be addressed,” he said.
Questioning the Congress leader's call for a public face-off outside Parliament, Sarma added, “Why do you want to drag people out onto the streets? This isn't Bangladesh; this isn't Nepal. Rahul ji, do not take the people for fools.” He further advised the Congress leader to move away from what he described as the role of an “angry young man” and participate in a peaceful debate in Parliament.
The Congress MP had issued the challenge in a post on X on Tuesday, urging PM Modi to agree to a public debate in the presence of the media and the country's youth. “It’s been 24 hours since I challenged you, Modi ji. You say the opposition is anti-national. Choose any stage, any venue, and debate me on this - Who is anti-national? Who has connections with foreign forces? And what is the nature of those connections? Let’s do this as soon as possible. Daro mat!” Rahul wrote.
Proposing a format for the discussion, the Congress leader said both leaders could sit across a table, with the Prime Minister free to appoint the moderator. “We’ll both be there. The media will be there. The youth of this country will be there. There will be a table. You’ll sit on one side, I’ll sit on the other. You can appoint whoever you want as the judge. You can even make Mohan Bhagwat ji the judge,” he said.
Rahul also listed several issues he wanted to raise, including the financial system, the India-US deal, the Adani case and the Epstein matter. “There will be questions about the financial system, the financial structure, how the US deal happened, why it happened and why so quickly, why you made the deal alone and didn’t inform the Cabinet, why the Adani case was closed, Epstein - and many other issues. We’ll discuss all of them openly.
Let the truth come out. Let everything be crystal clear,” he added.
The Congress leader also challenged PM Modi to file a defamation case against him over his allegations, saying he was already facing several such cases. “You make allegations against me, don’t you? Come forward. Everything will become clear. You’ve filed defamation cases against me over other matters. I think there are around 45 defamation cases against me. But on this issue of the debate, on the question of foreign connections, you haven’t filed a defamation case. Go ahead, file one. We’ll discuss that openly too. Happy Diwali, Modi ji,” Rahul wrote.
