Mayawati First Opposition Leader To Accept Amit Shah’s Challenge For Public Debate On CAA

Shah had named former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and BSP chief Mayawati during his rally held in Lucknow,on Tuesday .

BSP president Mayawati accepts BJP's challenge to discuss CAA at any public forum

New Delhi: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, has said that her party is ready to face any public discussion on the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, just a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah dared opposition leaders including her for the same. Mayawati is the first opposition leader to accept the challenge of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Shah had named former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and BSP chief Mayawati during his rally on Tuesday held in Lucknow to garner support for the Citizenship Amendment Act. Mayawati on Wednesday said her party accepts his challenge for a debate “at any forum and at any place.” “The BSP is ready to accept the challenge of the Central government which is disturbed by protests against the controversial CAA/NRC/NPR, by the entire country, especially the youth and women, to debate on the matter in a public forum. The party is ready to discuss the topic at any forum,” she tweeted in Hindi.

आति-विवादित CAA/NRC/NPR के खिलाफ पूरे देश में खासकर युवा व महिलाओं के संगठित होकर संघर्ष व आन्दोलित हो जाने से परेशान केन्द्र सरकार द्वारा लखनऊ की रैली में विपक्ष को इस मुद्दे पर बहस करने की चुनौती को BSP किसी भी मंच पर व कहीं भी स्वीकार करने को तैयार है।

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) January 22, 2020

According to the CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, to escape religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship. It does not include Muslims. Those opposing the CAA contend that it discriminates on the basis of religion and violates the Constitution. They also allege that the CAA along with the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is intended to target the Muslim community in India. However, the central government has dismissed the allegations, maintaining that the law is intended to give citizenship to the persecuted minorities from the three neighbouring countries and not to take away anyone's citizenship. (additional inputs from PTI)