Congress ready for open debate on removal of 13 crore voters’ names: MP Suresh Shetkar

Congress MP Suresh Shetkar on Friday said the Congress and the INDIA alliance were ready for an open debate on the alleged removal of 13 crore votes from the eligible voters' list.

Congress MP Suresh Shetkar on Friday said the Congress and the INDIA bloc were ready for an open debate on the alleged removal of 13 crore votes from the eligible voters’ list. He welcomed the proposed special session and said the Opposition was prepared to participate in the discussion in any format.

Shetkar said, “We are ready for an open debate on the 13 crore votes that were removed from the eligible voters’ list. Our Congress Party and the INDIA Alliance are ready to address this issue in every possible way. Our Rahul ji, the Congress Party and the INDIA Alliance are all prepared for this. We welcome that (Special) session, and we are ready for it. Rahul ji has already issued the challenge, and we are ready to participate in any format.” Meanwhile, Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday intensified his challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an open debate, launching a poll on social media platform X asking young Indians whether they wanted to see the two leaders engage in a face-to-face discussion.

In a post on X, Gandhi tagged senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, urging them to convince the Prime Minister to accept his challenge. "Youth of India, Do you want to see a Rahul Gandhi vs Narendra Modi open debate? @rajnathsingh ji, @nitin_gadkari ji, @ChouhanShivraj ji, @myogiadityanath ji - you always have the PM’s best interest in mind; please convince him to come," Rahul Gandhi posted on X.

The poll featured two options: "Yes - Modi Ji, Daro Mat" and "No - Modi Ji, Dar Gaye", with Gandhi taking a swipe at the Prime Minister. The confrontation follows remarks made by Prime Minister Modi while addressing the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations marking the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at the Statue of Unity in Gujarat, where he had criticised the opposition, accusing it of turning into an obstructionist force rather than discharging its democratic obligations.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday accepted the debate challenge posed by the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, while counter-challenging him to discuss any substantial issues inside the Parliament. Addressing a massive rally during the BJP's 'Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy' foot march in Karnal, the Union Home Minister said, "If you (Rahul Gandhi) wish to engage in a responsible discussion, if your concerns hold truth, substance, and logic, then come and discuss them inside Parliament. Let’s face each other head-on! But you won’t be able to handle the answers; as always, you will just run away." (ANI)