NEW DELHI — Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to an open debate, alleging that Modi became and remains prime minister due to foreign assistance.
In a post on X, Gandhi said: "Mr Modi, stop lying to this nation. You became PM because of foreign help. You remain PM because of foreign help." Gandhi alleged that India's financial system is fully controlled and supported by foreign entities and that foreign social media platforms back the prime minister.
"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," Gandhi said.
The challenge came two days after Modi, addressing the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations at the Statue of Unity in Gujarat on Saturday, alleged that certain forces were conspiring to divide the country and that social media was being used to spread rumours and damage India's image.
Modi said: "These forces are continuously engaged in conspiracies to divide the nation. Attempts are being made to divide and pit against one another the children of Mother India." He added: "We must identify who is secretly meeting whom abroad, which anti-India forces are supporting whom, and who is speaking the language of India's enemies."
At a 'mock Parliament' organised by INDIA bloc parties in Delhi on Sunday, Gandhi claimed without evidence that without Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, neither Narendra Modi would have become Prime Minister nor Amit Shah would have become Home Minister.
Responding to Gandhi's remarks, BJP chief Amit Shah in Hyderabad launched a counter-attack, saying even his Telangana Yuva Morcha president would defeat Gandhi in a debate. Gandhi retorted that after Gyanesh Kumar, they would come for Shah and that legal action would be taken.
The latest exchange marks another escalation in the continuous heated rhetoric between the Congress-led INDIA alliance and the BJP, with both sides trading allegations of foreign influence and institutional compromise.
