Thiruvananthapuram, March 31 Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Tuesday that he had invited Congress leader V D Satheesan for a debate on Facebook, clarifying that it was not intended to be a public, face-to-face event.
Responding to queries during a press conference here, Vijayan said, "I invited him to a debate on Facebook. I believe he has not expressed reluctance for the debate via Facebook. Let that debate take place."
However, Satheesan reiterated his willingness for an open public debate with the chief minister.
In a fresh Facebook post, he said that it had been 24 hours since Vijayan had agreed to a debate, but the venue and time were yet to be decided.
He also said that he would be present at the place and time fixed by the chief minister and urged him to finalize the details at the earliest.
While speaking to reporters in Paravur later in the day, Satheesan said that the CM's backing out from the open debate was "extremely disappointing".
He said that he had expected the chief minister to announce a date and venue for the debate, but he instead shifted the engagement to social media platforms.
"There is no issue in holding a debate through social media. However, when we respond to the claims made by him, there is no further mention of it," he said.
The Congress leader accused Vijayan of making misleading statements on the housing achievements of the previous government led by late Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
"When we presented figures showing that over 4.43 lakh houses were constructed during Oommen Chandy's tenure, contradicting the chief minister's earlier claim of only 4,000 houses, there was no response from him," Satheesan said.
He further alleged that certain statements made by the CM were contradicted by members of his own cabinet, but were not addressed subsequently.
"Facts presented from official sources, including replies from his own ministers, exposed these claims. Yet, the chief minister has chosen to remain silent on the matter," he said.
Satheesan also claimed that Vijayan may have been advised by someone against participating in a direct debate.
The exchange of words comes days ahead of the April 9 Assembly polls, intensifying the political contest in the state.
On Monday, Vijayan accepted Satheesan's challenge for a debate, sharing on social media what he termed the LDF government's "report card" and asking whether the opposition was ready to engage on its listed achievements, which he described as an "A-plus" performance.
Soon after, Satheesan said he was ready to participate in a debate at a time and venue decided by the chief minister, adding, "Let the people decide the rest."
Addressing a press conference in Kollam later, Vijayan welcomed the opposition's willingness for a debate but stressed that the Assembly remained the most important forum for discussions.
He alleged that the opposition had failed to raise issues effectively in the Assembly and had avoided debates there, fearing replies from the ruling front. The UDF had not even moved any adjournment motion during the last session ahead of the polls, he claimed.
"Let's have a debate if the opposition is ready to answer all such questions. We don't have any issues," Vijayan added.