Rahul Gandhi Challenges PM Modi To Debate, Sitharaman Hits Back With ‘Parliament Is The Venue’ Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday hit back at Rahul Gandhi over his challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an open debate, asking the Leader of Opposition to take up the issue in Parliament instead of issuing challenges on social media. In a strongly worded response on X, Sitharaman said Parliament was already an appropriate venue for the debate Rahul Gandhi was seeking. She also pointed out that Home Minister Amit Shah had offered to hold a special session to discuss the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). “Rahul ji, you ask the Prime Minister to choose a venue for a debate. There is already one: Parliament, where you happen to be the LoP,” she wrote. “Just yesterday, Home Minister Shri @AmitShah offered a special session to debate SIR and EVMs. Why not show the same enthusiasm for a debate in Parliament that you show while issuing challenges on social media?” she added. The Finance Minister accused the Congress leader and his party of walking out of Parliament while the government was responding to allegations raised by the Opposition. She questioned how the Congress leader could demand a debate while not staying back to hear the government's response. “Demanding answers also carries an obligation to hear them,” Sitharaman said, alleging that Rahul and the INDIA bloc had repeatedly disrupted parliamentary proceedings, resulting in entire sittings being washed out. She also referred to the mock Parliament exercise recently organised at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence, taking a swipe at the event. “Frankly, that was more a ‘mockery of Parliament’ than a ‘mock Parliament’,” she said, questioning why the Opposition had time for such an exercise but did not show the same enthusiasm for proceedings in the actual Parliament. Sitharaman further said that Rahul's claims about protecting democracy and the Constitution should be reflected in his conduct towards the institutions established under them. On the allegations raised by the Congress leader, she asked him to present specific claims backed by evidence instead of putting together a long list of accusations. She said the Leader of Opposition was expected to demonstrate seriousness and responsibility. “You say, ‘Daro mat.’ Then bring the facts, face the scrutiny and stay to hear the answers. In the House, uphold the standards of debate you demand from others,” Sitharaman said. Union Minister Piyush Goyal also took a dig at Gandhi, saying that the Congress leader has been arguing with himself since 2014. He also shared old video of Gandhi. The exchange comes after Rahul Gandhi renewed his challenge to PM Modi for an open debate over allegations involving foreign backing. On X, Rahul had asked people whether they wanted to see a debate between him and the Prime Minister, offering two options: “Yes, Modi Ji, Daro Mat” and “No, Modi Ji, Dar Gaye”. He also tagged senior BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, urging them to convince the Prime Minister to take up the challenge.