“Do you want to see a Rahul Gandhi vs Narendra Modi open debate?” Congress leader wrote on X.

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi doubled down on his call for a debate with Prime Minister Narendra Modi over allegations of “foreign backing” levelled by both rival parties. His Congress and the BJP.“Do you want to see a Rahul Gandhi vs Narendra Modi open debate?” the Congress leader wrote on X while posting a poll that contained two tricky options: “Yes, Modi Ji, Daro Mat” and “No, Modi Ji, Dar Gaye”.The Congress leader, in a quirky note, also asked BJP’s top brass, which includes some of PM Modi’s colleagues in the Cabinet, to convince the Prime Minister to agree to a debate.“Rajnath Singh Ji, Nitin Gadkari Ji, Shivraj Singh Chouhan Ji, Yogi Adityanath Ji, you you always have the PM’s best interest in mind, please convince him to come,” the Congress scion quipped in the post.The Rae Bareli Lok Sabha MP posted the poll hours after he renewed his challenge to PM Modi to face him in an open debate, saying 24 hours had passed since he dared the PM.In a video shared on X, Rahul said, “24 hours have passed, Modi ji. I challenged you. You say that the opposition is anti-national. Pick any stage, any venue, and debate me.”“Who is the anti-national? Who has connections with foreign forces? And what kind of connections are they? Do it as soon as possible, don’t be afraid,” he said.On Monday, Rahul had challenged the Prime Minister to an open debate on allegations of him becoming Prime Minister with “foreign help”, saying the latter would not dare to accept it.The whole showdown began after Rahul retorted to Modi’s ‘Ekta Diwas’ speech, in which the PM accused the opposition of turning into an “obstructionist force” (avrodh paksh).The Prime Minister also warned against forces “engaged in conspiracies to divide” the country, saying social media was “being weaponised, rumours being spread, and attempts being made to tarnish India’s image”.“When the country was seeking solutions to external challenges, some forces within the country were also creating instability by spreading lies and rumours. But the countrymen stood shoulder to shoulder with the nation,” PM Modi said.“It is our misfortune that at this time in the country, the opposition has turned into an Avrodh Paksh rather than Virodh Paksh. In their frustration, these people are standing as obstacles in the way of the country’s development.

This is not opposition; this is obstruction,” he added.In a veiled reference to Rahul’s foreign trips, he said, “Due to the frustration of more than a decade, these people have now come out in the open. Who is secretly meeting whom abroad? Whom are the anti-India forces supporting? Who is speaking the language of India’s enemies? We will have to recognise all these patterns.”