New Delhi, Apr 9: Congress president Rahul Gandhi asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday if he was “scared” of debating with him on corruption and suggested that they could go “open book” for it.
Gandhi has been repeatedly daring Modi to debate with him on issues of national security, especially the Rafale fighter jets deal, asserting that when it happens, the truth will be out in the open.
The BJP has scoffed at the idea and described the Congress chief as an ignorant politician.
“Dear PM, Scared of debating me on corruption? I can make it easier for you. Let’s go open book, so you can prepare: 1. RAFALE+Anil Ambani, 2. Nirav Modi, 3. Amit Shah+Demonetisation,” Gandhi tweeted with #Scared2Debate.
After releasing the Congress manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls earlier this month, Gandhi had challenged the prime minister to debate with him on the issues of national security, corruption and foreign policy.
The Congress has also accused Modi of helping industrialist Anil Ambani make a profit of Rs 30,000 crore by favouring him as the offset partner in the Rafale deal.
The government has denied any wrongdoing in the fighter jets deal. Ambani has also rejected all allegations.
Meanwhile, in a scathing criticism of the BJP’s manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Congress president said it was the voice of “an isolated man”, besides being “short sighted” and “arrogant”.
The ruling BJP released its manifesto for the high-stakes general election starting April 11 on Monday, promising to implement the NRC in different parts of the country to push out infiltrators and zero tolerance to terror while reiterating its pet causes — construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and scrapping of Articles 370 and 35-A, dealing with Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
“The Congress manifesto was created through discussion. The voice of over a million Indian people it is wise and powerful,” Gandhi said in a tweet.
“The BJP Manifesto was created in a closed room. The voice of an isolated man, it is short sighted and arrogant,” he added.
The Congress had dubbed the BJP’s election manifesto a “Jhansa Patra” (deception document) and a “bubble of lies” on Monday and said it would have been better had the saffron party issued a “maafinama” instead.
