New Delhi, Nov 4 — Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday issued an open challenge to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, asking him to come to Parliament for a debate after he demanded a public debate with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Taking a swipe at the Congress leader, Gupta invoked the Emergency imposed in 1975 and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots to target the Congress's political legacy.
In a post on X, Gupta wrote: “Rahul Gandhi Ji, OPEN CHALLENGE. Come to Parliament. Let’s debate!”
“1975: Your grandmother imposed the Emergency. Opposition jailed. Press gagged. Democracy strangled.
1984: Your father was Prime Minister when thousands of innocent Sikhs were massacred in Delhi. Congress still cannot escape that bloodstained legacy,” she added.
The chief minister highlighted the years in which Congress suffered major setbacks, saying: “2014, 2019, 2024. Three consecutive terms. The fourth is already your biggest nightmare.”
“Bhaagna mat! Parliament of India, New Delhi. No visa required.”
Gupta's remarks came in response to Gandhi's demand for a public debate with the Prime Minister. Challenging PM Modi, Gandhi had asked him to choose any stage or venue to discuss allegations of anti-national activities and alleged connections with foreign forces.
“24 hours have passed, Modi ji. I challenged you. You say that the opposition is anti-national. Pick any stage, any venue, and debate me. Who is the anti-national? Who has connections with foreign forces? And what kind of connections are they? Do it as soon as possible—don't be afraid,” Gandhi had posted on X.
Earlier, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had also sharply rebuked Gandhi for demanding a public debate with the Prime Minister, saying Parliament was the appropriate venue for such an exchange.
Responding to Gandhi's challenge 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 pointed out that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had offered a special session of Parliament a day earlier to discuss the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the functioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
“Why not show the same enthusiasm for a debate in Parliament that you show while issuing challenges on social media?” she asked.