Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday dared PM Modi to a public debate on the ongoing anti-national chargeHe stated that the he wants to make allegations against the PM and wants him to do the same.
Published: November 13, 2026, 4:13 PM IST
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Rahul Gandhi challenged PM Modi to a public debateImage Credit: @INCIndia/X
Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has renewed his challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a face-to-face public debateHe also claimed that Modi would not remain in office once the two of them faced each other.
The Congress released a string of short video clips on Friday in which Gandhi said that the Prime Minister’s “political career will be over” if he comes and debates him“He knows that and I know that,” Gandhi added, saying Modi keeps calling him anti-national and that he wants to show the nation who is anti-national, who is controlled by whom, and since whenHe also said that the Prime Minister knows the truth of that.
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Gandhi said he did not want a debate where the two sides deliver speeches“I want Narendra Modi to make allegations against me and I want to make allegations against him,” he said.
Asked in another of the clips whether he had evidence for his accusations, the Congress leader pointed to his own mobile phone“The proof is here,” Gandhi said, claiming it is “in this phone.” He alleged that the Prime Minister knows this because he taps Gandhi’s phone, and said that once the one-on-one debate comes, everybody will know who is controlled by foreign powers, who is anti-national, since when he has been so, and many other details he says are on his phone.
Rahul Gandhi alleged phone-tapping
This is not the first time that Gandhi has alleged that his phone is being tappedEarlier, the Rae Bareli MP alleged phone tapping, claiming that he and many other politicians had their phones bugged with Pegasus to enable Central agencies to tap them.
“I myself had Pegasus on my phoneLarge number of politicians have Pegasus on their phonesI’ve been called by Intelligence officers who say please be careful of what you say on your phone as we are recording the stuff,” Gandhi had alleged in 2023Notably, the allegations were refuted by the Centre.
Why is Rahul Gandhi seeking a public debate?
Responding to a question during an Instagram “Ask Me” session, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stated he was forced to demand a public debate after being denied permission to speak in Parliament, PTI reported“You did not let me talk on the farm bills, vote chori, SIR, China, on (Gen) Naravane’s book, EpsteinI want a one-on-one debateI don’t want a debate entailing long speeches,” he said, emphasizing his preference for a direct exchange over lengthy addresses.
Friday’s barbs followed a back-and-forth between the government and the OppositionPM Modi, speaking at an interaction with CRPF in Bastar, told them that the country won its decades-long battle against Naxalism but the “dimagi Naxals” have infiltrated political parties and organisations
Union home minister Amit Shah has previously accused Gandhi of avoiding parliamentary debate, saying the government was ready to debate the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls“Rahul holds a copy of the Constitution in his hand but respects neither the document nor the position he holds,” Shah told a rally of BJP workers on October 30.
