Rahul Gandhi debate dare to PM sparks BJP-Congress clash. Who blinks first? Panel debates
India Today ·
National politics witnessed parallel confrontations as the Bharatiya Janata Party clashed with the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party over governance and public policy. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to an open, moderated debate on foreign policy, the Adani Group, and voter roll controversies. The BJP dismissed the demand, maintaining that Parliament remains the designated constitutional forum for executive accountability and national deliberations. Concurrently, deteriorating air quality in Delhi, marked by Air Quality Index levels surpassing 400 across hotspots including Dhaula Kuan, Ghazipur, and Sunehri Bagh ahead of Diwali, sparked a dispute between the BJP and AAP. Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa linked the pollution surge to stubble burning in Punjab, while Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP representatives attributed the smog to internal Delhi pollution sources, questioning air monitoring data and enforcement of GRAP-2 measures as environmental analysts called for systemic interventions over seasonal restrictions.