Nirmala Sitharaman Hits Back At Rahul Gandhi's Debate Challenge To PM Modi

· Free Press Journal

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on November 3 hit out at Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an open debate, asking him to utilise Parliament as the venue instead of issuing challenges on social media.

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In a post on X, Sitharaman said, "Rahul ji, you ask the Prime Minister to choose a venue for a debate. There is already one: Parliament, where you happen to be the LoP."

She also referred to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's offer to hold a special session of Parliament to debate the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Questioning Gandhi's enthusiasm for a debate outside Parliament, she asked why he did not show the same eagerness to participate in discussions inside the House.

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'Demanding Answers Also Carries An Obligation To Hear Them'

The Finance Minister alleged that Gandhi and members of his party had repeatedly walked out of Parliament while the government was responding to their allegations. She also accused the Congress and the INDIA bloc of disrupting parliamentary proceedings, resulting in entire sittings being washed out.

"Demanding answers also carries an obligation to hear them," she said, questioning how Gandhi could demand a debate while allegedly not allowing Parliament to function.

Taking a dig at the mock Parliament exercise recently organised by the Congress at the residence of party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sitharaman said it was more of a "mockery of Parliament" than a mock Parliament.

She further said that Gandhi's calls to protect democracy and the Constitution should be reflected in his conduct towards the institutions established under them.

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'Bring Specific Allegations And Evidence'

Sitharaman also challenged Gandhi to substantiate his allegations with specific evidence, saying that merely putting together a long list of accusations would not strengthen his case.

"As for the issues you frivolously raise, bring specific allegations and evidence to back them up. Simply throwing together a long list of accusations doesn't make your case any stronger," she said.

Concluding her response, the Finance Minister invoked Gandhi's frequently used slogan, "Daro mat", asking him to present facts, face scrutiny and remain in Parliament to hear the government's response.

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Sitharaman's remarks came after Rahul Gandhi challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to an open debate on allegations concerning foreign connections, the country's financial system and other issues.

In his post on X, Gandhi said 24 hours had passed since he challenged the Prime Minister to choose any venue for a debate on the Opposition being labelled anti-national.

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He proposed that both leaders sit across a table, with the media and the country's youth present, and suggested that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat could be appointed as the judge.

Gandhi also sought answers on the India-US deal, alleging that it was finalised too quickly and without informing the Union Cabinet. He further raised questions about the Adani case and the Epstein matter, calling for an open discussion on these issues.

Referring to the defamation cases filed against him, Gandhi claimed that he faced around 45 such cases and challenged the Prime Minister to file another one over his remarks on alleged foreign connections.

"Let the truth come out. Let everything be crystal clear," Gandhi said, reiterating his challenge to Modi with the slogan, "Daro mat."

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