Rahul Gandhi says he is 100% ready for debate with PM Modi

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said he was 100% ready for a debate with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on public issues on any platform.
He also said that Congress would consider reinstating the old pension scheme if the party came to power and asserted that Modi is acting more like a king than a prime minister. Gandhi was speaking at the Rashtriya Samvidhan Sammelan at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan in Lucknow.
Answering a question from a member of the audience at the event, the former Congress president said he was “100%” willing to debate with the prime minister, but he doubted that Narendra Modi will agree.
The audience question came a day after a senior journalist and two former judges, in a letter, urged the Congress leader and the prime minister to participate in a public debate on the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. The three had urged Modi and Gandhi to nominate a representative for the debate if either of them is unavailable to participate.
For his part, Rahul Gandhi also said: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is acting more like a king than a prime minister—he operates as if he’s above Parliament and his cabinet.Yet, he doesn’t hold absolute power; the real control lies elsewhere.”
Acknowledging that it would be challenging to re-nationalize government institutions that the BJP has privatised, he said, rather the Congress would stop blatant privatisation of public sector departments like the railways , health and education. The Congress supports job generation through government departments, he said.
“Now his (PM’s) target is to finish the public sector and finish reservation but I say that no one can end reservation because they are supported by 90% of the population. It’s the voice of 90% of the people,” Gandhi further said.
At the same time, he said, “The Congress party, too, has made mistakes and will have to change its politics in future” but did not elaborate.
Laying stress on caste census, Rahul Gandhi said, “This is to bring to light the true extent of caste-based discrimination in India.” He questioned why the government seemed reluctant to conduct such a census, suggesting that it might expose uncomfortable truths about the distribution of power and resources.
“If the nation is to be strengthened, it cannot be done without including the 90%. If you say that the 90% cent will not come into the bureaucracy, sports, media, judiciary and even beauty pageants, then what superpower will you make? Do you want to make 10% of the population a superpower?” he said.
Gandhi claimed that the ruling BJP will be restricted to less than 180-200 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.
“I can give you in writing, if you want, that Narendra Modi is not going to be the PM again,” he said, repeating the prediction he made at joint rallies in Uttar Pradesh earlier in the day with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
He mentioned the Congress manifesto aims to address the needs of the 90% majority and bring about significant political changes.
He pointed out that the use of central agencies like the CBI and ED to target political opponents, the demonetisation policy, and the Agniveer scheme all represent attacks on the foundational principles of the Constitution.
The Constitution aimed to open doors for millions, providing opportunities for all. However, while it marked progress, it fell short of expectations in terms of delivering widespread success and equality, he said. Despite these challenges, it remains a critical milestone in the journey towards a more inclusive society, he added.
About his own role, Gandhi said, “The truth is, I am the voice of the people. My role is to bring the social realities of India to the forefront, to ensure everyone gets their fair share.”
“I enjoy this work. After the Bharat Jodo Yatra, my perspective became more clear. In India, anyone who has successfully fought for social reform has done so with love, respect, and strength,” he added.