Hyderabad:Senior journalist N Ram and two former judges - Justice (Retired)Madan B Lokur, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India and Justice (Retired) Ajit P. Shah, Former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, have invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for a public debate on a range of issues.
Ram took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and posted, "We write to you as citizens of India, who have performed our duty to the country in various capacities. We approach you with a proposal that we believe is non partisan and in the larger larger interest of every citizen."
"The General Election for the 18th Lok Sabha has already reached its midpoint. During rallies and public addresses, members of both the BJP, the party in power, and the INC, the principal opposition party, have asked important questions relating to the core of our constitutional democracy. The Prime Minister has publicly challenged the Congress on reservations, Article 370 and wealth redistribution. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has questioned the Prime Minister on possible mutilation of the Constitution, Electoral Bond scheme and the government's response to China, and also challenged him to a public debate. Both sides have asked each other questions about their respective Manifestos, as well as their stand on the constitutionally protected scheme of social justice," added Ram.
"As members of the public, we are concerned that we have heard only allegations and challenges from either side, and not heard any meaningful responses. As we are aware, today's digital world carries with it a propensity for misinformation, misrepresentation, and manipulation. In these circumstances, it is fundamentally important to ensure that the public is well educated about all aspects of the debate, so that they can make an informed choice at the ballots this is central to the effective exercise of our electoral franchise.