New Delhi, November 10: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has renewed his challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an open debate on who is anti-national and who is controlled by foreign forces. His remarks came a day after Modi accused ideological supporters of the Naxal movement of infiltrating political parties and various organisations.
In a post on X on Monday, Gandhi addressed personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), saying their expressions showed that they did not believe the Prime Minister's remarks. He also alleged that Modi had called Opposition leaders Naxals.
“My challenge stands. Let him debate me on who is anti-national and who is controlled by foreign forces. Any time, any place,” Gandhi wrote. He further claimed that after such a debate, the Prime Minister would not have the courage to face even a single jawan.
During his visit to Bastar in Chhattisgarh on Sunday, Modi visited the operations base of the CRPF's CoBRA commando unit at Karanpur. He said that although armed Naxalites had been eliminated from forest areas, the threat had not completely ended.
Modi alleged that people with a Naxal mindset, whom he described as “Dimagi Naxals”, had infiltrated political parties and various organisations and were attempting to turn people against the Constitution and democracy.
The Prime Minister had made similar remarks on October 31 at an event in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, marking the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He had also referred to “Dimagi Naxals” during his Independence Day address in August.
Reacting to Gandhi's post, Congress leader Pawan Khera said the question of whether the Prime Minister would have the courage to face him after the debate would arise only if the debate took place. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, meanwhile, accused the Prime Minister of using Diwali events to target political opponents.
The latest exchange between the Congress and the BJP comes amid the Opposition's ongoing campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of vote theft and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
