Mysore/Mysuru: Even as the Opposition Congress and the ruling BJP are engaged in a war of words over claims on developmental projects in Mysuru and  BJP MP Pratap Simha challenging the Congress leaders for an open debate, Congress spokesperson M. Lakshmana said that he will be in front of  Simha’s Office here on June 29 for a public debate on what he called as false claims made by the BJP MP.

Speaking to presspersons at the Congress Bhavan near city Railway station here on Saturday, M. Lakshmana said that he will come for the debate with all supporting documents to prove the Congress party’s contribution to Mysuru.

‘I will bring a table and two chairs at noon on June 29 and I will stay put in front of your Office at Jaladarshini Guest House premises till you come for the debate”, he said.

Referring to Simha’s invitation to former CM Siddharamaiah for a debate, Lakshmana said he was ready to come instead of former CM Siddharamaiah, adding that Simha had ignored a similar offer on the debate made by him (Lakshmana) a  few months ago.

Referring to the ten-lane expressway between Mysuru and Bengaluru, the works on which is presently going on, Lakshmana maintained that the credit for the highway expansion should indeed go to Siddharamaiah, former PWD Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa and former Union Minister for Surface Transport the late Oscar Fernandes.

Daring the MP to contest against him in Gram Panchayat elections, Lakshmana said they can both contest independently and not as candidates of the Congress or BJP.

Challenging Simha that he would see who will win the elections on individual strength, he described Prime Minister’s recent visit to the city as nothing but a ‘picnic’ of sorts, which costs the taxpayers Rs.19 crore. Referring to Modi’s pat on the back of MLA Ramdas, Lakshmana said that Modi never once mentioned Simha’s name in any of the events that he took part in the city.

Maintaining that Simha’s claims on his close proximity  to the PM has been belied during the PM’s two-day visit to the city, Lakshmana ridiculed the city BJP leaders who had wanted to welcome the PM with the victory of the BJP in the Legislative Council polls from South Graduates Constituency. But the BJP was frustrated as the party candidate lost the polls by a huge margin, he said and asked the MP not to give statements for the sake of publicity.

Pratap Simha reiterates challenge

Meanwhile MP Pratap Simha on Saturday reiterated his challenge for a debate on the development projects for Mysuru opposition leader and former CM Siddharamaiah and former Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa, who both hail from Mysuru district.

Replying to queries by presspersons here on Saturday, Simha asked the two Congress leaders to fix a date and time for the debate, which he will surely attend.

He sought to tell Dr. Mahadevappa, who recently had said that the credit for the ten-lane Mysuru-Bengaluru expressway should go to Siddharamaiah, himself and late former Union Minister Oscar Fernandes, to come for the debate instead of issuing statements   before the media.

Asserting that he will come with evidence on the works he had done as the MP for the past eight years, Simha asked the two senior Congress leaders to also come up with evidence for substantiating their developmental claims. The people of the State will come to know of the facts during the debate, he added.