Gambhir says no to debate, Atishi asks why in politics

Another battle is raging between AAP's East Delhi candidate Atishi and her BJP rival Gautam Gambhir as he declined her challenge for an open debate on their respective parties' work in the constituency.

Responding to Atishi's challenge, Gambhir declined to enter into a debate. The cricketer was quoted by News18 as saying that he does not believe in "dharnas and debates".

"I am a candidate, not a spokesperson, why should I debate with Atishi?" the News18 quoted him as saying.

Soon, Atishi took to Twitter, "@GautamGambhir-ji, If you don’t believe in debates, then why have you entered politics? Delhi government is going to open a cricket academy, you can run it! You don't need to debate issues there?"

Atishi had made a challenge on Monday after Gambhir said that AAP was making complaints against him because it did not have issues to talk about in the elections.

"I challenge him for an open debate on the issue of what AAP did in East Delhi in the past four years. Let him come and talk about what did sitting BJP MP Mahesh Girri do in East Delhi in the past five years," she said on Monday.

She had posed five questions to Gambhir. Gambhir should say what has Girri done to establish a Delhi University campus in East Delhi, what steps were taken to ensure women safety as well as affordable housing in the constituency, she said.

She also wanted Gambhir to spell out what steps Girri had taken in the past five years to stop sealing.