New Delhi:
The virtual battle is now a full-blown war, and it seems 140 characters will just not suffice. After Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh dared activist-politician Arvind Kejriwal to answer his questions, Mr Kejriwal has hit back daring the Congress President and Prime Minister to an open debate.
Speaking to media persons in Kaushambi near Delhi, Mr Kejriwal said, "I would like to tell Mr Digvijaya Singh to seek answers from his PM, from Robert Vadra, Haryana CM. After that we will respond to each and every question that he puts to us. If that's not possible, let him convince either Sonia Gandhi or Rahul or the PM to face us on a public platform in an open debate before the people."
It started with a teaser on micro-blogging site twitter with the former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Digvijaya Singh calling Arvind Kejriwal 'a self-serving ambitious megalomaniac' with a 'streak' of Hitler. Mr Singh followed it up with a set of 27 questions to the newest kid on the political block, primarily seeking details of his NGO's foreign funding.
Mr Kejriwal in response has challenged the PM, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Cong General Secretary Rahul Gandhi to an open debate in public. Speaking to NDTV from Guna in Madhya Pradesh, Mr Singh has dismissed the challenge saying Mr Kejriwal cannot compare himself to the Prime Minister of the country.
Mr Singh said, "Let Mr Arvind Kejriwal debate with me first; I'm absolutely ready for an open public debate with Arvind Kejriwal and also let me also remind him that I've been a Chief Minister for ten years. I'm a responsible person who's been the General Secretary for the All India Congress Committee for eight years and I've been in public life for more than forty years. So I think first let me debate with him openly. Why should the PM or Soniaji or Rahul Gandhiji debate with him, he's not so big."
The Congress' Harish Rawat snubbed the idea saying, "They are just playing politics. If he (PM) start answering all the questions then we will need 2 PMs one to solve the problems and look after the nation and other for answering questions."
The online battle between the two sides is not new, but the what started as a as a bunch of virtual 'truth-or-dare' back and forth is now promising to intensify with both sides upping the ante and digging in their heels.