Rahul Gandhi Accuses PM Modi Of Dodging Direct Debate, Says He Can't Answer Posers On ‘Links With Favoured Businessmen’, 'Electoral Bond Misuse’

Rahul Gandhi said that PM Modi would refuse to debate with him because he cannot answer questions about his alleged "link" with favoured businessmen and the misuse of electoral bonds.

Rahul Gandhi at a poll rally in Delhi.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed on Saturday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would refuse to debate with him because the PM cannot answer questions about his alleged "link" with favoured businessmen and the misuse of electoral bonds. Addressing a public meeting organised by the Congress in Delhi, Gandhi urged workers from both his party and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to collaborate and ensure victory for their alliance in all seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital. 

"It's interesting that I'll vote for AAP and Arvind Kejriwal will vote for Congress in these elections," he remarked. 

Gandhi stressed that the primary goal should be to protect the Constitution from those "hell-bent on destroying it". 

"PM Modi is giving non-stop interviews to his favourite journalists but he will not have a debate with me because he knows he cannot answer my questions," Gandhi said. "PM Modi talks about the Congress getting tempo-loads of money from Adani-Ambani, but he doesn't dare to get it probed".

"I'm ready to debate with PM Modi whenever and wherever he wants, but I'm sure he won't come. The first question I would ask PM Modi is what is his relationship with Adani, next I want to ask him about electoral bonds," the former Congress chief stated.

Gandhi added that the debate would end after these two questions, but he also wanted to ask the Prime Minister why he urged the public to bang plates and flash mobile phones during the Covid pandemic. 

"He won't join a debate with me but he speaks in his rallies only about issues I raise. When I said why he does not talk about Adani-Ambani, he talked about it immediately," he noted. 

Gandhi criticised the media, alleging they were "friends of 2-3 industrialists" as they would either show Ambani weddings, Bollywood stars, to Narendra Modi on their channels round the clock. "Still, stringers and cameramen working for these media houses will vote for Congress only," he claimed. 

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Gandhi On Enforcement Directorate

In his speech, the senior Congress leader also referred to his questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). 

"They got me interrogated by ED for 55 hours till they got tired... They snatched my house, I told them I don't want your house as the entire country is my home," he said. 

On those joining the BJP, Gandhi said he was fine with it. "We don't want 'darpok' (coward) leaders, we want 'Babbar Sher'. We don't want those who cower fearing CBI-ED action," he said. 

Talking about Congress and I.N.D.I.A bloc plans if they form the government, Gandhi said, "We will throw the Agniveer scheme in the dustbin, simplify GST and help small businessmen rather than big industrialists". He alleged that Prime Minister Modi has done nothing for small businesses but gave Rs 16 lakh crore to industrialists like Adani and Ambani. 

"I urge Congress workers to vote for Congress candidates on three seats of Delhi and for AAP candidates on four seats. Similarly, I urge AAP workers to vote for their party leaders in four seats and for Congress candidates in three constituencies," he said. 

Under a seat-sharing arrangement between the two constituents of the I.N.D.I.A, the Congress has fielded candidates from three of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, while the AAP is contesting the remaining four.