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Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Saturday accused the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, of having done "no homework" on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, after the Congress leader told Union Home Minister Amit Shah not to "confuse" Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid the ongoing row over the debate challenge.
Replying to Gandhi's X post, Joshi said that a "cropped, out-of-context video" of Amit Shah was being used by the Congress leader. "Circulating cropped, out-of-context video of Home Minister Shri @AmitShah ji shows only one thing @RahulGandhis absolute lack of homework on SIR. Rahul ji, the confusion is clearly yours, not ours! When you win elections, the electoral process is acceptable; when you lose, the same process suddenly becomes questionable. Is this your understanding of democracy?" Joshi posted, adding, "You lost the 2014, 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections even when no SIR was conducted. Will you take responsibility for those defeats or blame something else?" https://x.com/JoshiPralhad/status/2118729463236280814?a=esh3lP58pMpf7kjWGkk&s=20 Joshi asserted that Shah had already openly challenged Gandhi to discuss the matter in Parliament and offered a special session if requested. "Enough of political theatrics, Rahul ji. Bring your arguments to Parliament and debate with facts," he said. The war of words escalated a day after Gandhi reiterated his readiness for an open debate with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at "any platform, any time, any place." Responding to Shah's challenge to raise the issue inside Parliament, Gandhi had posted on X, "Amit Shah ji, don't confuse Modi ji. Just convince him to have an open debate with me. Any platform, any time. Don't be afraid." The tussle stems from a social media poll posted by Gandhi on Tuesday asking young Indians if they wanted a debate between him and PM Modi, in which he tagged several senior BJP leaders to help persuade the Prime Minister. "Amit Shah ji, don't confuse Modi ji. Just convince him to have an open debate with me. Any platform, any time. Don't be afraid," Gandhi said on X. Shah has said the Centre is ready to convene a special session if the Congress formally requests it. Addressing a rally in Karnal, Haryana, on Thursday as part of the BJP's 'Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy' campaign, Shah challenged Gandhi to a parliamentary discussion. "If you 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," he said. Meanwhile, the political dispute over SIR continued to intensify, with BJP leaders defending the exercise through rallies and Opposition parties organising protests in different states, demanding that it be scrapped. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) also announced a protest against SIR in Kochi on November 7, marking its first major demonstration since its leaders were detained in Delhi during an attempted protest at Jantar Mantar last month. The dispute over SIR has emerged as a major political flashpoint, with the BJP and Opposition parties trading allegations over democratic institutions and parliamentary processes. (ANI)
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