Modi dares Rahul Gandhi to speak for 15 minutes without a paper

Modi's challenge was in response to Gandhi's recent comment that the Prime Minister was afraid to stand up in the Parliament and face him.

"Modi is afraid to stand in Parliament," Gandhi said during a recent public rally in the state.

He said: "If I am allowed to speak for 15 minutes on the Rafale issue in Parliament before Modi then I am sure he will not be able to face it."

Modi, who is campaigning for his party in Karnataka on Tuesday, selected the moment as apt for attacking the Congress leader and said: "The Congress President has challenged me. He said that if he speaks for 15 minutes in the Parliament then Modi will not be able to sit."

"He is absolutely correct.In no way an ordinary person like me, who do not even dress well, can sit with such high and mighty people like the Congress President," he said.

"We do not want to sit in front of you too," he said.

Challenging Gandhi and referring to his mother's native tongue, Modi then said: "I challenge you to speak for 15 minutes on the achievements of your government in Karnataka. You must speak  without reading from any piece of paper. You can speak in Hindi, English or your mata ki matra-bhasha (you mother's native tongue)."

Polling is scheduled to be held in the state on May 12. The counting of votes will take place on May 15.

Karnataka is one of the last few strong holds of the Congress.

The Karnataka poll has virtually turned out to be a battle between present and former Chief Ministers, Siddaramaiah and Yeddyurappa respectively.

Yeddyurappa is the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) Chief Ministerial candidate in the poll.

The BJP is eyeing on to return to power in the state.