‘Give roses on Valentine’s Day, not Diwali’: Himanta tells Rahul Gandhi to debate in parliament, not on streets

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on November 4 launched a sharp counterattack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a public debate, asking why the Leader of Opposition wanted to hold it outside Parliament when the House had a Speaker to oversee proceedings.

Responding to Gandhi’s proposal for an open debate, Sarma questioned whether the Congress leader knew his responsibilities as the Leader of Opposition and asked where he intended to hold the discussion — “on the street, in a bylane or in Parliament”.

“Why do you need Mohan Bhagwat ji as a judge when we have a Speaker in Parliament? Your mother and sister are also in Parliament, and there is no scarcity of judges,” Sarma said, in an apparent reference to Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Taking a swipe at Gandhi’s demand for a debate on the India-US deal, Sarma questioned the premise of the proposed discussion, asking, “You want a debate with PM Modi on the US deal, but where is the deal?”

The Assam chief minister said a parliamentary debate could cover a range of issues, including the Bofors scandal and the Bhopal gas tragedy. He also questioned Gandhi’s alleged attempts to take political issues to the streets, saying, “This is not Bangladesh or Nepal.”

Sarma further raised questions about Gandhi’s foreign visits and his alleged signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese Communist Party.

“I have just one request. You cannot act like an angry young man. I will give you advice free of cost: if you want to be a good leader, debate properly in Parliament and do so peacefully,” he said.

“You want the debate on the streets, and we want it in Parliament. Next time, give a rose on Valentine’s Day, not on Diwali,” Sarma added.

Earlier, Gandhi had challenged Modi to an open debate on allegations that the Opposition was anti-national and had links with foreign forces. He proposed that the two leaders sit across a table, with the media and young people present, and suggested that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat could act as the judge.

Gandhi also listed several issues he wanted to discuss, including the financial system, the India-US deal, the Adani case and the Epstein controversy. He said around 45 defamation cases had been filed against him and challenged Modi to initiate another one over his remarks on alleged foreign connections.

Gandhi ended his message by wishing the prime minister a happy Diwali.