This is the first challenge to PM since his massive win in Lok Sabha elections this year.
Highlights
- PM Modi went to Pakistan, befriended Nawaz Sharif, said Congress
- The reference was to PM Modi's surprise visit to Lahore in December 2015
- Opposition has asked the President for withdrawal of the Citizenship law
The Congress has thrown another challenge for a debate at Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- a first since the Lok Sabha elections. PM Modi was the one who went to Pakistan and befriended its Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and "let the terrorists go back to Pakistan", said the Congress, which met President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday along with other opposition parties.
The reference was to PM Modi's surprise visit to Lahore in December 2015. The Prime Minister had announced the visit in a tweet from Kabul, saying he would "drop by" in Lahore to greet Mr Sharif on his 66th birthday. Within a year, on September 2016, terrorists had carried out one of the deadliest attacks on the army camp at Jammu and Kashmir's Uri.
At the time, the Prime Minister was much criticised for his unannounced visit to Pakistan.
On Tuesday, the opposition parties have asked the President for a withdrawal of the Centre's new citizenship law, which has triggered countrywide protests.
Ahead of the elections, Rahul Gandhi, who was then the party chief, had issued multiple challenges to the Prime Minister. None had been accepted by PM Modi, who is known to be an orator par excellence.
Most of these challenges have been on the issue of the government's deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets, in which the Congress had accused the government of corruption and crony capitalism.
The Congress's zealous focus on the Rafale issue, coupled with the party's personal attacks on the Prime Minister, have been cited as two of the key reasons for its devastating defeat in the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year.