Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has reiterated his challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an open debate regarding allegations of being anti-national and influenced by foreign forces.
In a post on He insisted that the Prime Minister should debate him on who truly is anti-national and who is controlled by foreign entities. “My challenge stands. Let him debate me on who is anti-national and who is controlled by foreign forces. Any time, any place,” he said.
Gandhi added, “My guarantee: after the debate, the PM won't have the guts to stand in front of a single jawan again.”
The challenge follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on November 8 during Diwali celebrations with security personnel in Bastar, where he warned that the threat of Naxalism remains. Modi alleged that while armed Naxalites have been eliminated from the forests, so-called “Dimagi Naxals” have infiltrated several organizations and political parties and are inciting people against the Constitution and democracy.
Modi stated, “We must remember one thing. Naxalites have been eliminated, but the threat is not yet over. While armed Naxalites have been wiped out from the forests, 'Dimagi Naxals' have taken control of several organizations. Even today, they are inciting people against the country's Constitution and democracy. These 'Dimagi Naxals' have also infiltrated several political parties and different organizations. We must identify them, defeat them and ensure the security of the nation.”
The Prime Minister also criticized previous governments for restricting the freedom of security personnel engaged in anti-Naxal operations. “Previous governments had also kept the hands of security personnel fighting on the ground tied. Naxalite attacks would take place, but security forces did not have the freedom to retaliate openly. We gave the security forces the freedom to take all necessary decisions. We also worked to stop the support that certain people within the government and the system had extended to Left-Wing Extremism,” he said.
This renewed challenge from Gandhi follows his prior assertions that Modi became and remained Prime Minister with foreign assistance and that India's financial system is controlled and supported by foreign forces. Gandhi had earlier challenged the Prime Minister to an open debate, stating, “I challenge you to an open debate about this. Any stage, any time. Come if you have the guts. You won't dare, because you are terrified of what I know about you.”