Accept Rahul’s debate challenge on Rafale, Congress dares PM

The Congress on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to accept party chief Rahul Gandhi’s challenge of a debate on issues such as corruption, mob lynching, Chinese incursions, Rafale and other issues concerning the country. Rahul had dared the Prime Minister to a debate on the Rafale deal and claimed that he will not be able to answer his questions on the issue “even for a second”.

Reacting to the PM’s Independence Day address , the party pointed that Modi should have spoken “the truth” in the last Independence Day address of his tenure instead of making “hollow” speeches and promises.

“We ask you PM Modi today, five years after you have taken over as Prime Minister, are you ready for a debate on these very issues with Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Will you debate on the issue of corruption and Rafale and Vyapam and other corruption scams of your Government for you did not utter a single word from the precincts of the Red Fort on corruption,” AICC chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala said at Press conference.

Party reminded how in 2013, Modi had created a Red Fort-like replica in Chhattisgarh and from there he had challenged then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to an open debate on the issues of corruption, China and Pakistan threatening the territorial integrity of India, falling rupee and failing economy, rampant unemployment as also discrimination vis-a-vis farmers and India’s women.

Surjewala claimed that people were now tired of the “fake achche din” promised by the BJP and were waiting for “sachche din (days of truth) when he departs as the Prime Minister of the country.           

“You (Prime Minister) did not utter a word, whether on Bihar or Unnao or any other rape incident that happened in the country,” Surjewal claimed, referring to the shelter home case of Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district and the rape case in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao involving a BJP MLA.

“Will you today debate on the failing economy and falling rupee, for the rupee has hit a new low that is 70 and the trade deficit has gone over USD 18 billion. Will you today debate as to the manner in which China has occupied Doklam, they are intruding into Ladakh and has been engulfing India from all sides,” the Congress spokesperson alleged.