Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accepted the proposal sent to him by a team of former judges and a journalist to conduct a live TV debate between him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On May 9, a team of former judges including the Supreme Court sent a proposal to Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi to participate in a live public debate that will be streamed on unbiased TV channels and social media portals ahead of the final phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 that will take place on June 1, 2024. Now, Rahul Gandhi has accepted the invitation and shared a letter along with his official statement. Below is what Rahul Gandhi's statement says-
"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 will help people understand our respective vision and enable them to make an informed choice. It is also critical to put to rest any unsubstantiated regations attributed to our respective parties. As the principal parties fighting the election, the public deserve to hear from their leaders directly. Accordingly, either myself or the Congress President would be pleased to participate in such a debate.
Please do let us know if and when the Prime Minister agrees to participate, following which we can discuss the details and format of the debate.
Thank you once again for your initiative. I look forward to participating in a productive and historic debate."
PM Modi vs Rahul Gandhi public debate
Former Supreme Court judge MB Lokur, former HC CJ AP Shah, and veteran journalist N Ram invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for a public debate on the Lok Sabha Election 2024. Below is what their proposal says-
".....The General Election for the 18th Lok Sabha has already reached its midpoint. During rallies and public addresses, members of both the BJP, the party in power, and the INC, the principal opposition party, have asked Important questions relating to the core of our constitutional democracy. The Prime Minister has publicly challenged the Congress on reservations, Article 370, and wealth redistribution. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has questioned the Prime Minister on possible mutilation of the Constitution, Electoral Bond scheme, and the government's response to China, and also challenged him to a public debate. Both sides have asked each other questions about their respective Manifestos, as well as their stand on the constitutionally protected scheme of social justice.
As members of the public, we are concerned that we have heard only allegations and challenges from either side and have not heard any meaningful responses. 1. As the art aware, today's digital world carries with it a propensity for misinformation, misrepresentation, and manipulation. In these circumstances, It Is fundamentally important to ensure that the public is well educated about all aspects of the debate, so that they can make an informed choice at the ballots this is vital to the effective exercise of our electoral franchise.