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Business News/ Politics / Policy/  PM Modi hits back at Rahul Gandhi over debate challenge
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PM Modi hits back at Rahul Gandhi over debate challenge

PM Modi dares Rahul Gandhi to speak for 15 minutes without the help of a written note

Narendra Modi with BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa during an election rally at Chamarajanagar in Karnataka on Tuesday. Photo: PTIPremium
Narendra Modi with BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa during an election rally at Chamarajanagar in Karnataka on Tuesday. Photo: PTI

Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hit back at Rahul Gandhi over the Congress president’s challenge to face him in a “15 minute" debate.

“How can I sit before you. Because you are a naamdaar and we are just kaamdaars (You are from a famous family and we are from the working class). We are not even able to wear decent clothes. Can small people like us dream to sit before a big person like you," Modi said, according to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) translated statement.

Modi’s reaction comes over a week after Gandhi took a jibe at him during the Congress party’s “Save the Constitution Campaign," in Delhi on 23 April.

Modi challenged Gandhi to speak for 15 minutes without a prepared speech. Referring to Rahul Gandhi’s Italian-born mother, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Modi said that he was willing to debate in any language of Gandhi’s choice.

“You speak in a language of your choice. It may be English, Hindi or your mother’s mother-tongue (Italian). You speak for 15 minutes and list the achievements of Congress regime in Karnataka without a written note in hand. And spell out Bharat Ratna Vishweshwaraiah’s name for five times in your speech. Then people of Karnataka will really appreciate you," Modi said in Santhemarahalli, in Chamarajanagar district.

Rahul Gandhi threw the challenge on 23 April, saying “PM Modi can’t face me in Parliament, (I) dare him to a 15-minute debate. I will talk about the Rafale deal, about Nirav Modi and (Narendra) Modi just will not be able to stand there."

Modi is in Karnataka to campaign in the assembly elections due on 12 May and the state unit of the party said he plans to address least 15 rallies in five scheduled visits.

While the BJP is looking to unseat the Congress in Karnataka, one of the last few states still under its control, the Congress is taking on both the BJP and the Janata Dal (Secular) to win a majority in Karnataka —not just to return to power in the state but to revive the party nationally.

Though Modi took on Gandhi on Tuesday, the duel between the BJP and Congress so far has been between Modi and Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah.

While Modi has levelled serious allegations against Siddaramaiah, including corruption and attempts to divide the society, the latter has countered Modi on every turn, including over fiscal prudence, job creation, attracting investments and other social and economic parameters —discounting Modi’s Gujarat model of development in comparison to the record of the Congress government in Karnataka.

Modi said that in Karnataka the Congress party had taken politics to a new low. He even took a jibe at Siddaramaiah over his decision to contest two seats (Badami and Chamundeshwari). He said sarcastically that Siddaramaiah contesting two seats and his son Yathindra Siddaramaiah contesting in the neighbouring constituency was a new formula developed by the party—“Two plus one" and “One plus one" under which a minister and his son or daughter can contest an election.

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Published: 01 May 2018, 10:19 PM IST
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