On the occasion of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary, Indian Prime Minister Modi, speaking in Gujarat on National Unity Day, had alleged that “foreign countries are helping the opposition parties.”
The day before yesterday (November 2), Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi responded, “You came to power with foreign help. Even now, you have foreign support. I am ready for a direct debate on this. Tell me the date and place,” he challenged.
Come, let’s debate!
There has been no response from the central government to this challenge. Because of this, Rahul Gandhi said on his X page, “It’s been 24 hours, Modi ji. I had challenged you.
You say the opposition parties are anti-national... Choose any platform, any venue. Come debate with me.
Who is the traitor to the nation? Who is in contact with foreign powers? What kind of contacts are they? Let us discuss them as soon as possible. Come on. Don’t be afraid.
What can we discuss?
Questions will arise about many things — the financial system, financial infrastructure, how the U.S. agreement happened, why it happened, why it was done so urgently, why you alone made that agreement, why the cabinet was not informed, why the Adani case was closed, the Epstein affair, and more.
“We will discuss all of them openly,” he posted.
Nirmala Sitharaman’s response
Responding to Rahul Gandhi, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “Rahul ji, you are asking the Prime Minister to arrange a venue for a debate. But such a venue already exists. It is the country’s Parliament! .
You are also responsible as the Leader of the Opposition. Just yesterday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that he was ready for a special session to discuss SIR and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
Why don’t you show the same enthusiasm for holding a debate in Parliament that you show when issuing challenges on social media?
You should not forget that if you demand answers, you also have the duty to patiently listen to and receive those answers.
By disrupting the proceedings of the House...
There have been many occasions when, whenever the government responds to the allegations you have made, you and your party have walked out of Parliament.
How can you claim to be so interested in debate when you run away without even staying there to hear the other side’s response?
This does not stop at mere walkouts. You and your ‘INDI’ alliance have repeatedly disrupted the proceedings of the House and wasted entire sessions.
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. Just yesterday, Home Minister Shri @AmitShah offered a special session to debate SIR and EVMs. Why not show the same enthusiasm for a debate in Parliament that you show while issuing challenges on social media? Demanding answers also carries an obligation to hear them. There have been several occasions when you and your party have walked out of Parliament while the government was responding to your allegations. How do you claim to be so eager for a debate when you don’t even stay to hear the other side? It doesn’t stop at walkouts. You and the INDI Alliance have repeatedly disrupted proceedings, leading to entire sittings being washed out. If you are so keen on debating, why not allow Parliament to function in the first place? And then there’s the mock Parliament you recently held at the Congress President’s residence. Frankly, that was more a ‘mockery of Parliament’ than a ‘mock Parliament’. You found the time and enthusiasm for that exercise. Surely, the real Parliament deserves at least as much. You speak endlessly about protecting democracy and the Constitution. But that respect should also reflect in how you treat the institutions they have established. 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. As LoP, you are expected to show some seriousness and responsibility. You say, “Daro mat.” Then bring the facts, face the scrutiny and stay to hear the answers. In the House, uphold the standards of debate you demand from others.
— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) November 3, 2026
If you are so interested in debating, why don’t you first allow Parliament to function smoothly?
As for the issues you raise casually, bring specific allegations and supporting evidence for them,” he posted.
