BJP Deflects Rahul Gandhi's Debate Challenge To PM Modi, Says 'Declare Yourself PM Candidate First'

Earlier, the BJP had turned down Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's challenge for a debate on the party's manifesto.

The BJP, while going all guns blazing in the ongoing poll rallies, seems to be playing it safe when it comes to taking up public debate challenges to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BJP has now turned down the latest challenge for a public debate with PM Modi by senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Earlier, the BJP had turned down Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's challenge for a debate on the party's manifesto, about which the Prime Minister was allegedly spreading "lies". 

PM Modi and the BJP, while refusing to entertain the Congress's challenges for debates on manifestoes and public issues, have been mounting scathing attacks on Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi in poll rallies. In his latest challenge, Rahul Gandhi sought to have a public debate with Prime Minister Modi on their respective parties' vision about the future of the nation.

Reacting to a call for a debate by The Hindu, Rahul Gandhi said: "It would be a positive initiative for the major parties to present their vision to the country from one platform for a healthy democracy. Congress welcomes this initiative and accepts the invitation for discussion. The country also expects the Prime Minister to take part in this dialogue."

Late on Saturday, Himanta Biswa Sarma sought to turn down the latest challenge from Rahul Gandhi to PM Modi. He said Rahul Gandhi did not have credentials even within the Congress and hence, PM Modi had no reason to debate with him.

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said that the party can depute a Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha spokespersons to debate with him but not PM Modi. "Rahul Gandhi isn’t even the PM candidate of the Congress Party, let alone the INDI Alliance. Let him first get himself declared as Congress’s PM candidate, state [that] he will take accountability for his party’s defeat, and then invite PM for a debate. Until then, we are ready to depute our BJYM spokespersons to take him on in any debate," Surya said.

Echoing his sentiments, Smriti Irani said that Rahul Gandhi should not boast. "Firstly, the person who does not have the courage to contest against a normal BJP worker in his so-called castle, should refrain from boasting. Secondly, who wants to sit at level with PM Modi and have a debate, I want to ask him if is he a PM candidate of the INDI alliance," she asked.