New Delhi: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has intensified his political attack on the ruling government by directly challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to an open debate on the issue of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Taking a sharp dig at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gandhi shared a video compilation on the social media platform X, urging Shah to convince the Prime Minister for a face-to-face discussion.
“Amit Shah ji, don’t confuse Modi ji. Just convince him for an open debate with me, any platform, any time. Don’t be scared,” the Congress leader wrote on X, attaching a video containing two contrasting statements previously made by the Home Minister.
The first clip, dated December 10, 2025, shows Amit Shah addressing the Parliament and stating that the SIR issue could not be debated within the House, as it would raise questions that would be difficult to answer. However, the second clip, filmed on November 5, 2026, during a rally in Karnal, Haryana, features Shah claiming that the government was entirely ready to call a special session of Parliament to discuss the SIR. Gandhi used these contrasting clips to highlight what he perceives as the government’s shifting stance on the critical issue.
In response to the growing political pressure, Amit Shah has sharply criticized Rahul Gandhi’s approach. Speaking at the Karnal rally, the Home Minister accused the Congress leader of evading real discussions. “If you have facts and logic, come inside the Parliament and discuss. But you won’t be able to bear the answers and will run away as usual. You have made it the culture of the Congress to create uproar and boycott Parliament,” Shah retorted.
The Home Minister further dismissed Gandhi’s challenge to the Prime Minister, suggesting that a lower-level functionary would be sufficient to counter his arguments. “You ask PM Modi to name a venue, he will come later. You just tell us the location of any crossroads in Haryana, and the president of my Yuva Morcha will come and debate with you,” Shah challenged, accusing the Congress party of opposing the SIR to protect “infiltrators.”
This latest exchange marks an escalation in the ongoing war of words between the opposition and the government. Over the past few days, Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly dared the Prime Minister to a public debate, claiming he could prove the administration’s alleged wrongdoings if given just five minutes on an open stage. As both political camps remain unyielding, the debate over electoral integrity continues to dominate the national discourse.