Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to an open debate, accusing him of coming to power and remaining in office with “foreign support”. The call came in response to PM Modi’s claims of certain “forces trying to divide the country” after the Opposition staged a protest against alleged electoral irregularities at Ramlila Maidan on November 1.
The Opposition has staged massive protests in recent months over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. However, the Election Commission and the government have rejected the allegations. He challenged Modi to debate the allegations at any venue and time. “Certain forces are continuously engaged in conspiracies to divide the country… The Prime Minister also criticised the Opposition, saying its role in a democracy was to question government policies but that it had instead become an obstructionist force. The Congress leader described the CEC’s removal as the first step towards restoring the country’s democratic institutions. He also accused the Prime Minister and the home minister of being involved in the alleged electoral wrongdoing. Other Opposition leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, also addressed the gathering.
The Congress leader has alleged that India’s financial system was “controlled” and backed by foreign forces, while foreign social media platforms supported the Prime Minister. After more than a decade of frustration and disappointment, these forces have now come out in the open,” the Prime Minister said, as per news agency ANI. “In a democracy, the responsibility of the Opposition is to oppose government policies, but it is our misfortune that the Opposition (virodh paksh) has become an obstructionist force (avrodh paksh),” he said, accusing it of creating hurdles in the country’s development and undermining the Constitution.
Earlier in the day, Union home minister Amit Shah challenged Rahul Gandhi to a debate on the issue in Parliament, saying the government was ready to convene a special session.
