Rahul again challenges Modi to debate, dares him to prove Opposition is anti-national

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday (November 3, 2026) dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to prove that Opposition parties are “anti-national”, as he invited Mr. Modi to an open debate for the second time in as many days.

Mr. Gandhi’s latest challenge came within a day of his earlier call for an open debate with the Prime Minister, who had accused the Opposition of taking foreign help to destabilise the country. The Congress leader, in turn, had accused Mr.

Modi on Monday of coming to power and occupying the Prime Minister’s chair with “foreign help”. In a video posted on his X handle on Tuesday, Mr. Gandhi said, "It has been 24 hours since I challenged you, Modi ji. You say the Opposition is anti-national.

Choose any stage, any venue, and debate me on this; who is anti-national? Who has connections with foreign forces? And what is the nature of those connections? Let’s do this as soon as possible. Dariye mat [Don’t be afraid].” Setting the stage for the proposed debate, the Opposition leader said there would be the media, the country’s youth, and a table.

"You will sit on one side; I will sit on the other. You can appoint whoever you want as the judge. You can even make [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief] Mohan Bhagwat ji the judge,” Mr. Gandhi said. Mr. Gandhi said that during the proposed debate, he would raise questions about the country’s financial system, the circumstances surrounding the India-U.S.

deal, why it was concluded in haste purportedly without informing the Union Cabinet, the closure of the Adani case, and the Epstein files, among other issues. “We will discuss all of them openly. Let the truth come out. Let everything be crystal clear.

You make allegations against me, don’t you? Come forward. Everything will become clear,” he said. Mr. Gandhi also asked why the Prime Minister had not filed a defamation case against him over his allegation of foreign connections, despite having filed several such cases on other issues.

24 घंटे हो गए मोदी जी। मैंने आपको चैलेंज दिया है। आप कहते हो कि opposition देशद्रोही है। किसी भी स्टेज पे आप जगह चुनिए, डिबेट कीजिए मेरे साथ। देशद्रोही कौन है? विदेशी फोर्सेस का कनेक्शन किसका है? और किस प्रकार का कनेक्शन है?

जल्दी से जल्दी कीजिए, डरिए मत। दोनों मिलेंगे, मीडिया होगी, देश के युवा होंगे, टेबल होगी, एक साइड आप बैठोगे, एक साइड मैं बैठूंगा। जिसको आप जज बनाना चाहते हो, बना दो। मोहन भागवत जी को बिठा दो, चलो। और फिर डिबेट करते हैं। सवाल उठेंगे फाइनेंशियल सिस्टम पर, फाइनेंशियल स्ट्रक्चर पर, US डील कैसे हुई, क्यों हुई, इतनी जल्दी क्यों हुई, सिर्फ आपने क्यों की, कैबिनेट को क्यों नहीं बताया, अडानी का केस बंद क्यों हुआ, Epstein - ऐसी बहुत सारी चीजें हैं जिसपे खुलकर डिस्कशन होगा।

आ जाइए, डरिए मत। दूध का दूध, पानी का पानी कीजिए। आप एलिगेशन लगाते हैं ना मेरे ऊपर, आ जाइए, सब साफ हो जाएगा। बाकी चीजों पे आपने defamation केस लगा रखा है, शायद 45 defamation केस मेरे ऊपर हैं। मगर इस डिबेट मामले पे, foreign कनेक्शन पे आप defamation नहीं लगा रहे हो।

लगाइए ना, वहाँ भी डिस्कस करेंगे, खुल के। ये सब डिस्कस करते हैं, आइए। हैप्पी दिवाली, मोदी जी। It's been 24 hours since I challenged you, Modi ji. You say the Opposition is anti-national. Choose any stage, any venue, and debate me on this - Who is anti-national?

Who has connections with foreign forces? And what is the nature of those connections? Let's do this as soon as possible. Daro mat! We'll both be there. The media will be there. The youth of this country will be there. There will be a table.

You'll sit on one side, I'll sit on the other. You can appoint whoever you want as the judge. You can even make Mohan Bhagwat ji the judge. There will be questions about the financial system, the financial structure, how the US deal happened, why it happened and why so quickly, why you made the deal alone and didn't inform the Cabinet, why the Adani case was closed, Epstein - and many other issues.

We'll discuss all of them openly. Let the truth come out. Let everything be crystal clear. You make allegations against me, don't you? Come forward. Everything will become clear. You've filed defamation cases against me over other matters.

I think there are around 45 defamation cases against me. But on this issue of the debate, on the question of foreign connections, you haven't filed a defamation case. Go ahead, file one. We'll discuss that openly too. Happy Diwali, Modi ji.

“You have filed defamation cases against me on other matters. I think there are around 45 cases against me. But on this issue of foreign connections, you haven’t filed one. Go ahead, file one. We will discuss that openly, too.

Happy Diwali, Modi ji,” he said in a post ahead of the festival. In a subsequent X post, addressed to the youth of India, the Opposition leader took a poll on whether or not there should be a debate between him and the PM.

“Do you want to see a Rahul Gandhi vs Narendra Modi open debate?” he asked. Tagging Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Mr.

Gandhi said, “You always have the PM’s best interest in mind; please convince him to come.” Union Minister Kiren Rijiju took a swipe at Mr. Gandhi for challenging the Prime Minister to an open debate on the issue of alleged foreign interference, saying the challenge was akin to “Islamic fundamentalists talking about secularism”.

“Top level debates are done between matured people,” Mr. Rijiju said in a post on X, responding to Mr. Gandhi’s remarks. “Pushing agendas of India’s enemies, yet accusing others of foreign support is self-ridiculing,” the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said, comparing the Opposition leader with separatists and anarchists.

Mr. Gandhi’s challenge came against the backdrop of Mr. Modi’s recent remarks in Gujarat, where he accused forces within the country of spreading lies and rumours to create instability.