Rahul Gandhi Challenges Narendra Modi to Public Debate and Alleges Phone Tapping

Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi renewed his challenge on Friday for a one-on-one public debate with Prime Minister Narendra Modi while accusing the government of tapping his telephone.

Speaking in social media posts, Gandhi said that a direct exchange would expose foreign influence in national politics and end Modi's political career.

The demand escalates an ongoing political clash between the opposition Congress party and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party over parliamentary debate procedures and executive transparency.

“The Prime Minister's political career, mark my words, the PM's political career will be over if he comes and debates with me,” said Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

Gandhi said he possessed evidence of allegations against Modi on his mobile phone and said the prime minister was aware of surveillance conducted on the device.

“Rahul Gandhi believes in hit-and-run politics,” said Tuhin Sinha, a spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party, adding that the opposition leader makes public allegations without providing supporting evidence.

Sinha called the Congress leader a “habitual liar” who regularly shifts focus to new issues whenever he fails to prove his earlier assertions.

Sinha also said that Gandhi met President Droupadi Murmu five weeks ago regarding allegations of vote theft but failed to present evidence to her.

Gandhi said parliamentary leaders prevented him from speaking during Lok Sabha sessions, adding that officials turned off his microphone during discussions on major national topics.

He proposed a direct exchange across a table where both political leaders could present allegations against each other, rather than delivering long speeches.

According to The New Indian Express, Gandhi said he would accept Adani Group chairperson Gautam Adani or Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat as a judge for the discussion.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Home Minister Amit Shah previously rejected Gandhi's calls for a public face-to-face debate, arguing that Parliament remains the proper forum for legislative discussions.

Modi has not publicly responded to the latest debate challenge or the phone-tapping allegations, leaving unresolved whether any formal discussion between the two leaders will take place.