Congress slams Advani over live debate with Sonia Gandhi

New Delhi, Mar 29 (ANI): The Congress party on Sunday criticised senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lal Krishna Advani for challenging Congress president Sonia Gandhi for a political debate LIVE on television.

" Has he (L K Advani) received a new light after five decades? There has been an established tradition of election debate since 1952 in this country. Why didn't he recall it earlier? He is just trying to mislead people. And if even he comes forward for the debate he won't be able to answer," said Anand Sharma, the Congress leader.

Advani had personally asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to join him in the debate, a proposal Congress rejected citing the idea is suitable to Presidential system of governance like in the US.

Advani had said that if the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was not willing for a live television debate, he could ask the Sonia Gandhi for the same.

On March 26, he challenged Manmohan Singh for a television debate to help people judge who was the better prime ministerial candidate.

On the issue of Varun Gandhi, Anand Sharma clarified that the Congress holds no personal grudges with BJP leader Varun Gandhi, who has been charged for creating a riot-like situation by making inflammatory anti-Muslim remarks in an election rally in Pilibhit constituency in Uttar Pradesh.

"Elections and politics are serious matters. BJP's and Sangh Parivar's poisonous ideologies influenced Varun Gandhi. We don't have any personal grudges with Varun Gandhi. This is just an ideology, which is dividing the country and its society and bringing gap between them. Such views that break internal unity of the country cannot strengthen the country and its internal security," said Sharma. (ANI)