‘Who is Rahul Gandhi?’ BJP's Tejasvi Surya slams Congress leader as he accepts invitation to debate with PM Modi

Tejasvi Surya, a BJP member, sharply responded on social media to a proposal from regarding a public debate on the Lok Sabha elections. Rahul Gandhi, representing the Congress, had earlier expressed his willingness to participate in a debate, on May 11.

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

Responding to Gandhi's openness to debate, Surya retorted on social media, questioning Gandhi's standing to challenge Prime Minister to a debate.

“Rahul Gandhi isn’t even the of the , let alone the INDI Alliance. Let him first get himself declared as Congress’s PM candidate, state he will take accountability for his party’s defeat, and then invite PM for a debate. Until then, we are ready to depute our BJYM spokespersons to take him on in any debate," Surya responded.

The quickly questioned Gandhi's position, hinting at a lack of formal endorsement from his own party as their prime ministerial candidate, which has added another layer of complexity to the pre-election dynamics. This back-and-forth represents not just a clash of political strategies but also underscores the intense scrutiny under which both major parties operate as the elections draw near.

"Dear Justice (Rtd.) Madan B. Lokur, Justice (Rtd.) Ajit P. Shah & Mr. N. Ram,

I hope this letter finds you well. I would like to thank you for your invitation to a public debate on Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

I have discussed your invitation with the Congress President, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge Ji. We agree that such a debate