Kochi, Apr 1 (PTI) Congress leader V D Satheesan on Wednesday said discussions on social media cannot substitute real-time exchanges where immediate responses are required.
His remarks come a day after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan clarified that he invited the Congress leader for a Facebook debate.
Speaking to reporters at Paravur here, Satheesan criticised the chief minister’s proposal for a debate on Facebook, alleging that Vijayan avoids answering questions directly.
“How can a debate with the CM be held on Facebook? When questions are raised, he has no answers. Once we respond to his allegations with evidence, he goes silent,” Satheesan said.
He alleged that the chief minister’s “double standards and hypocrisy” had been exposed, claiming that this was the reason why Vijayan was reluctant to engage in a public debate.
“I agreed to the debate with the firm confidence that I can dismantle all the claims made by the chief minister,” he said.
Citing the figures of houses built for deserved beneficiaries during the tenure of late Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Satheesan said he had stated that 4.43 lakh houses were constructed, which Vijayan dismissed as a “blatant lie,” claiming only 4,000 houses were built.
“When we produced all the evidence, people understood who was lying. After that, there was complete silence from the CM,” he said.
Satheesan reiterated that he was ready for a public debate at a time and venue decided by Vijayan, adding that the opposition was equipped with data and logical arguments to counter all claims made by the government.
“Unlike Facebook posts made the next day, a direct debate requires immediate answers,” he said.
Vijayan on Tuesday said that he had invited Satheesan for a debate on Facebook and clarified that it was not intended to be a face-to-face public event.
“I invited him to a debate on Facebook. Let that debate happen,” Vijayan said.
The exchange of words comes days ahead of the April 9 Assembly polls, intensifying the political contest in the state. PTI LGK KH
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