Gandhi scion vs commoner: BJP's Tejasvi Surya accepts Rahul Gandhi's open debate challenge, nominates...

Days after former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi challenged the BJP for an open debate, BJP's Bangalore South MP and youth wing chief Tejasvi Surya on Monday wrote to him accepting the challenge. He said the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) appreciated Gandhi's willingness to engage in discussions and debates on critical governance issues amid the demanding schedule of the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign.

"As the youth wing of the BJP - the world's largest political party- we recognise the critical need for open and active dialogue about our party's vision and policies, particularly those shaping the future of our nation. In this regard, it is my pleasure to nominate Shri Abhinav Prakash, National Vice-President of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, as the BJYM's representative for the upcoming debate," he said. 

Surya said Prakash hails from Uttar Pradesh, a state Gandhi has previously represented in Parliament. "Additionally, he is from a Dalit caste, Pasi, which makes up a significant proportion of over 30% of the scheduled caste population in Raebareli. This is the very constituency your family has long represented and where you are a current electoral contender."

"An alumnus of Jawaharlal Nehru University and an assistant professor of economics at Delhi University's Ramjas College, with previous teaching stints at SRCC, his profound understanding of social, economic, and political dynamics is poised to enrich the debate significantly," the BJYM chief wrote, adding that the youth wing eagerly anticipate Gandhi's acceptance, setting the stage for "what promises to be a historic debate between the scion of a political dynasty which has ruled India for the longest time since independence and a commoner representing the new India of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji."

Rahul Gandhi recently said he was 100 per cent ready to participate in a public debate with Prime Minister Modi. However, Union Minister Smriti Irani hit back at Gandhi and asked him in what capacity he would debate with PM Modi. She challenged Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi to pick time and date and the issue to debate and BJP's one spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi would be enough. "Dono bhai-behen ek taraf aur BJP ka ek pravakta ek taraf, doodh ka doodh, paani ka paani ho jaayega."