Spend more time in India: Rijiju mocks Rahul, lists conditions for Congress to ‘get more MPs’

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju. | Photo credit: ANI

Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday (Nov 4, 2026) took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi and listed some conditions for the Congress, saying if the opposition party wants to “get more MPs”, then its supreme leader must spend more time in India and stop meeting people who are against India.

Mr. Rijiju took on Mr. Gandhi and other Congress leaders for demanding an open debate with the Prime Minister.

In a post on X on Wednesday (Nov 4, 2026), he said the Congress can “get more MPs” if Mr Gandhi fulfills seven conditions.

Enumerating these conditions derisively, Mr. Rijiju said that Mr. Gandhi should “spend more time in India and avoid secret foreign vacations often.”

He also asked the Congress leader to respect the elderly and gain valuable wisdom from the elders, which is an Indian tradition.

The BJP leader further advised Mr Gandhi not to meet “anti-India people and stop promoting their agenda”.

As the fourth condition, the minister asked Mr Gandhi to “end the deep hatred towards BJP, RSS and Modi Ji” and “treat BJP as a political adversary and not an enemy”.

He also asked the Congress leader to take “Parliament more seriously” and let MPs participate in debates and discussions. “Respect the Constitution of India and honor the constitutional institutions and allow the Congress party to function as a democratic party and break dynastic politics,” he said as the last two conditions.

Earlier in the day, Mr Rijiju released a video clip of his speech in Parliament as opposition leaders left the house.

“Parliament is a house for debates and discussions. But people who don’t believe in democracy, debates and discussions talk about debate,” said the Parliamentary Affairs Minister.

Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday (Nov 4, 2026) again challenged PM Modi to have an open debate with him, saying he would guarantee that in five minutes it would be proven that the PM was a traitor and called for a strong response from Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

After Mr. Gandhi’s call, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the prime minister should come forward and face the “vote-stealing” questions being asked by the nation.

“PM Modi parrots his Dimaagi Naxal’ flop line! He has NO answer to Rahul Gandhi’s Vote Chori and Open Challenge to discuss how he stopped India’s interests from foreign powers!” said Mr. Kharge.

Mr. Rijiju responded in a post on X and said, “Kharge Ji, Dimaagi Naxal is a term not a narrative. Only Dimaagi Naxals follow: Who supports Maoist agenda and rejects Indian constitution. Who is on the side of separatists and supports Article 370. Who wants to stop development projects of India. Who conspired to separate the chicken’s neck from the North.”

Mr Gandhi on Tuesday (Nov 4, 2026) challenged Mr Modi for an open debate on his charge that the opposition is anti-national and asked why the prime minister had not sued him for defamation over his allegations about his foreign dealings.

He accused Mr. Modi of filling the prime minister’s chair with foreign aid, within a day of his earlier call for an open debate with the prime minister for accusing the opposition of accepting foreign aid to destabilize the country.

Published – 05 Nov 2026 03:07 IST