PM yet to muster courage to accept invitation for debate with Rahul Gandhi, says Jairam Ramesh

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not yet "mustered the courage" to accept the invitation for a debate with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

"Day 4 of Rahul Gandhi's letter accepting an invitation to debate the Prime Minister. The 56-inch chest has not yet mustered the courage to accept the invite," Jairam Ramesh posted on X with the hashtag "Daro Mat".



Earlier, while accepting the invitation for a public debate with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha President Tejasvi Surya nominated BJYM's Vice President Abhinav Prakash.

On May 13, Prakash said he looked forward to the debate and hoped that the Congress leader would not run away from it the way he ran away from Amethi.

It is pertinent to note that the invitation was extended to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by Retired Justice Madan B Lokur, Justice Ajit P Shah, and journalist N Ram for a debate on the key election issues.

Tejasvi Surya proposed the name of Abhinav Prakash, stating that he is from a Dalit caste, Pasi, which makes up a significant proportion of over 30 per cent of the scheduled caste population in Raebareli where Rahul Gandhi is contesting in the current Lok Sabha election.

Elaborating on the credentials of Abhinav Prakash, he wrote in a letter, "He is not only a distinguished leader within our youth wing but also an articulate spokesperson for the policies and reforms implemented by our government. An alumnus of Jawaharlal Nehru University and an assistant professor of economics at Delhi University's Ramjas College, with previous teaching stints at SRCC, his profound understanding of social, economic, and political dynamics is poised to enrich the debate significantly."

On May 10, Rahul Gandhi in a letter addressed to retired judges Madan B Lokur, Ajit P Shah, and journalist N Ram, Gandhi expressed readiness to participate in the debate either himself or through Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.

"It would be a positive initiative for the major parties to present their vision to the country from one platform for a healthy democracy. Congress welcomes this initiative and accepts the invitation for discussion. The country also expects the Prime Minister to take part in this dialogue," Rahul Gandhi said while accepting the invitation.