Gandhi renews debate challenge to Modi, alleges phone tapping

Rahul Gandhi renewed his call for a one-on-one public debate with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 13, alleging that Modi was tapping his phone and saying it contained evidence for accusations he wanted to raise in a debate. The reports provide no independent verification of the alleged surveillance or the evidence Gandhi described.

During an Instagram question-and-answer session, the Congress leader said he wanted a direct exchange rather than long speeches. He said he would accept Gautam Adani, chairperson of the Adani Group, or Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat as a judge. Gandhi said the debate would show who was controlled by foreign powers and who was “antinational,” terms he used in describing allegations he wanted to make against Modi.

Gandhi said his phone held proof related to those allegations and asserted that Modi knew because he was tapping it. The reports recount the accusation as Gandhi’s statement and do not establish that his phone was monitored. Gandhi did not present the alleged evidence in the reported remarks.

He also said Modi’s political career would be over if the prime minister agreed to debate him. In a social-media video, Gandhi...