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Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday asked Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to debate issues such as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in Parliament, questioning his repeated challenges for a debate on social media.
In a post on X, Sitharaman said Parliament was already an available platform for debate and pointed out that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had offered a special session to discuss SIR and EVMs. "Rahul ji, you ask the Prime Minister to choose a venue for a debate. There is already one: Parliament, where you happen to be the LoP. Just yesterday, Home Minister Shri @AmitShah offered a special session to debate SIR and EVMs. Why not show the same enthusiasm for a debate in Parliament that you show while issuing challenges on social media?" she wrote. The Finance Minister said demanding answers also meant being willing to hear the government's response, accusing Gandhi and his party of walking out of Parliament during discussions. "Demanding answers also carries an obligation to hear them. There have been several occasions when you and your party have walked out of Parliament while the government was responding to your allegations. How do you claim to be so eager for a debate when you don't even stay to hear the other side?" she said. Sitharaman also accused the Congress and the INDIA bloc of repeatedly disrupting parliamentary proceedings, resulting in entire sittings being lost. She referred to a mock Parliament exercise recently held at the Congress President's residence, saying it was more a "mockery of Parliament" than a "mock Parliament". "You found the time and enthusiasm for that exercise. Surely, the real Parliament deserves at least as much," she wrote. The Finance Minister further said that respect for democracy and the Constitution should be reflected in the way political parties treat the institutions established under them. On Gandhi's allegations, Sitharaman asked him to present specific claims backed by evidence rather than a list of accusations. She said the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha was expected to demonstrate seriousness and responsibility. Concluding her post, Sitharaman referred to Gandhi's slogan, "Daro mat", and asked him to present facts, face scrutiny and remain in the House to hear the government's responses. "In the House, uphold the standards of debate you demand from others," she said.This comes as Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday intensified his challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an open debate, launching a poll on social media platform X asking young Indians whether they wanted to see the two leaders engage in a face-to-face discussion. In a post on X, Gandhi tagged senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, urging them to convince the Prime Minister to accept his challenge. "Youth of India, do you want to see a Rahul Gandhi vs Narendra Modi open debate? @rajnathsingh ji, @nitin_gadkari ji, @ChouhanShivraj ji, @myogiadityanath ji - you always have the PMs best interest in mind, please convince him to come," Rahul Gandhi posted on X The poll featured two options: "Yes - Modi Ji, Daro Mat" and "No - Modi Ji, Dar Gaye", with Gandhi taking a swipe at the Prime Minister. The latest post comes after Rahul Gandhi renewed his challenge to PM Modi for an open debate on allegations concerning foreign connections, suggesting that the discussion could be held at any venue and even proposing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat as the judge. (ANI)
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