Rahul Gandhi dares PM Modi to open debate SIR, tells Amit Shah ‘Don’t confuse Modi ji’
New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi on Friday renewed his challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an open debate on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha also took a dig at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, asking him to convince the Prime Minister to accept the challenge instead of making contradictory statements about a discussion on the issue.
In a post on X, Rahul shared a video featuring two clips of Shah’s remarks on the possibility of discussing SIR in Parliament. Along with the video, he wrote, “Amit Shah ji, don’t confuse Modi ji. Just convince him to have an open debate with me. Any platform, any time. Don’t be afraid.”
The video highlights Shah’s statements on two different occasions. On December 10, 2025, while responding to Rahul’s allegations of vote chori in Parliament, Shah had said that SIR could not be discussed in the House as the matter fell under the Election Commission, an independent constitutional body.
अमित शाह जी, मोदी जी को कन्फ़्यूज़ मत कीजिए।
बस उन्हें मेरे साथ खुली बहस के लिए मना लीजिए। कोई भी मंच, कोई भी समय।
डरो मत। https://t.co/TciYEtNBIt
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 6, 2026
However, during a BJP rally in Karnal, Haryana, on November 5, 2026, Shah said the government was ready to convene a special session of Parliament to discuss the exercise.
“If you (Rahul Gandhi) wish to engage in a responsible discussion if your concerns hold truth, substance, and logic then come and discuss them inside Parliament. Let’s face each other head-on! But you won’t be able to handle the answers; as always, you will just run away,” Shah said.
Amit Shah accuses Rahul of avoiding parliamentary debate
During his Karnal address, Shah also criticised Rahul over the functioning of Parliament, accusing him of disrupting proceedings and avoiding discussions on important issues. He alleged that the Congress leader had made walkouts and protests a regular feature of the party’s political approach.
Shah said Parliament was the most important platform for democratic discussions but accused the Opposition of preventing the House from functioning and taking political battles to the streets instead. The Home Minister’s remarks came during the BJP’s ‘Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy’ foot march in Haryana, where he also challenged Rahul to take part in a discussion on SIR inside Parliament.
Rahul Gandhi’s repeated challenge to PM Modi
Rahul had first challenged Modi and Shah to an open debate on Monday. He renewed the demand on Tuesday, asking the Prime Minister to choose any venue for the discussion and suggesting that it be held in the presence of the media and young people.
He also said Modi could nominate anyone, including Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, to moderate the discussion. “It has been 24 hours, Modi ji. I have challenged you. You say that the Opposition is anti-national. Pick any stage, any venue, and debate me. Who is anti-national? Who has links with foreign forces and what kind of connections are they,” Gandhi had said.
Rahul has repeatedly accused the BJP of electoral irregularities and questioned the SIR exercise. The latest exchange has added to the political confrontation between the Congress and the BJP with both sides challenging each other to defend their positions on the issue.