Congress star campaigner and former international cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to an open debate on the Rafale deal and promised to quit politics if he lost the debate.

Barbs, digs and jibes aimed to puncture the BJP’s electoral campaign came thick and fast from the 55-year-old Punjab state minister, who campaigned in Adityapur and Bokaro for mahagathbandhan candidates Geeta Koda (Singhbhum Lok Sabha seat) and Kirti Azad (Dhanbad).

At S Type Durga Puja grounds in Adityapur on Tuesday morning, he urged the 4,500-plus crowd to reply to the new BJP slogan of “Abki baar phir Modi sarkar (This time, again Modi government)” with “Abki baar bas kar yaar (This time, just stop it)”.

Sidhu dubbed Modi a feku (liar) for not living up to the poll promises of 2014. “I have watched films with titles like Hero No. 1, Coolie No. 1 and Biwi No. 1. Now a film on Modi will come out as Feku No. 1. It is next to impossible to make Modi speak the truth,” said the cricketer-turned-politician, who had also been with the BJP before joining the Congress in 2017.

“Modi ruined farmers, the youth and the poor. He has not fulfilled what he promised five years ago. He damaged public sector units like BSNL, HEC while going out of his way for capitalists like Ambanis and Adanis, giving land to their projects at cheap rates,” Sidhu alleged. “The Congress fulfilled its poll promise of waiving farmer loans immediately after coming to power in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan (in state elections),” he said.

The Congress has been alleging a multi-crore scam in the Rafale fighter jet deal, with a promise to probe into the purchase of 36 jets from France if voted to power. To this, Sidhu said, “I am prepared to debate with Modi anywhere. Am ready to go to his house, office, roadside or anywhere else for a debate on whether he favoured (Anil) Ambani in the Rafale deal. If I lose I will quit politics.”

Sidhu alleged the PM had failed to stop fraudsters from fleeing the country. “Earlier watchmen used to say jagte raho (stay awake), now the chowkidar (a reference to the Prime Minister) gives banks’ money to the rich and says bhagte raho (keep running),” he joked.

He questioned BJP’s nationalism, which the party has made its core electoral campaign around Balakot air strike and national security. “People have no money but bank accounts are being opened. BSNL (government-run) was not given the 4 G contract but Jio (Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Jio Infocomm) was. Government units are staring at huge losses and coffers of private companies are being filled. Farmers are being sent to jail for not being able to repay loans while capitalists get waivers. Is this nationalism?” asked Sidhu.

He called it a strange coincidence that Modi was seeking votes in the name of Army while an armyman was fighting against Modi in Varanasi, the PM’s constituency.

He also took the BJP to task for its failure to create jobs. He blamed the Modi government for increasing excise duty on diesel to favour private oil companies. In effect, fuel prices continued to rise even as crude oil became cheaper globally, he implied. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did not de-regularise excise duty on diesel despite steep crude oil prices, he added.

After the rally of over 40 minutes at Adityapur, Sidhu was faced by 30-odd BJP supporters near Tata-Kandra Road shouting anti-Congress slogans. Police prevented a flare-up between Congress and BJP workers.

Remembering Nehru

Sidhu, who campaigned for Congress candidate from Dhanbad Kirti Azad at Bokaro’s Mazdoor Maidan in Sector IV, told the 2,00-plus crowd that the latter was a “better cricketer”. “My elder brother (Azad) used to hit longer sixes than me,” he said. Countering the anti-Nehru brigade, Sidhu said, “Every big factory of India, be it Bokaro Steel or any other, had been established under Congress rule and our first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation of India’s industrial development.”

District babus say no

Sidhu had to campaign in Ranchi and Hazaribagh as well on Tuesday but those were cancelled. In Ranchi, the administration claimed its inability to provide Sidhu Z-plus security. In Hazaribagh, the administration claimed he was 45 minutes late from the time allotted to him (4pm) for campaigning.

Additional reporting by Praduman Choubey and Vijay Deo Jha