SP, BSP chiefs accept CAA debate challenge; Owaisi asks HM to invite ‘daadhi wale’ also
In a new twist to the ongoing fracas over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati have accepted Home Minister Amit Shah’s challenge for debate on the CAA.
While Akhilesh is prepared for such an engagement while keeping economic slowdown and development as part of the package, Mayawati said her party is ready for a debate on the CAA on any platform.
Meanwhile, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi chipped in, telling Shah, “Daadhi wale se karo na” (debate with a bearded man).
Addressing a rally in support of the CAA in Lucknow on Tuesday, Shah had dared Opposition leaders like Mayawati, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav to debate with him on the law on a “sarvjanik manch” (public platform).
Picking up the challenge, Akhilesh said, “I’m ready for the debate on CAA. Ask them to fix a place or a forum, with their favorite channels and anchors, also for a debate on development. We Samajwadis are ready for it. But the BJP should also debate on the issues like economic slowdown, unemployment, poverty and death of people due to Government harassment.”
Accusing the BJP of discriminating on the basis of religion, Akhilesh said those who understand the soul of the country are opposed to the amended citizenship law. He also alleged the BJP is playing with the Constitution as it has majority in the Lok Sabha.
“I am glad that women have taken the lead and youth are protesting in large numbers,” Akhilesh said after garlanding a statue of SP leader Janeshwar Mishra at a park here on his death anniversary.
BSP chief Mayawati, who along with Akhilesh, had skipped the Opposition meeting in Delhi to oppose the CAA, on Wednesday said her party is ready for a debate on the CAA on any platform.
“The BSP is ready to accept the challenge thrown by the Central Government, which is troubled by the organised struggle and agitation all over the country against the most controversial CAA/NRC/NPR, especially by the youth and women, for a debate on the issue on any platform and anywhere,” Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi.
Mayawati had obviously come under pressure to take an aggressive stance against the CAA after another Dalit leader Chandrasekhar Azad occupied centre stage in Delhi in mobilising protest against the CAA.
Meanwhile, asserting that Mahatma Gandhi and BR Ambedkar were against discrimination, the SP chief accused the BJP of practising discrimination on the basis of religion. “Every Indian is against it. Will they (the BJP) kill the soul of the country and create fissures in society for votes,” he said.
Accusing Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of using words like “thok diya jayega” in his speeches, he said, “This cannot be the language of a politician. “BJP used ‘kabristan and shamshan’ and ‘Diwali and Ramzan’ during poll rallies for the sake of votes.”
Speaking at a rally in Karimnagar district in Telangana, Owaisi wanted Shah to discuss the new law with him instead of others. “I am here.. Debate with me.. Why (debate) with these people… ‘Daadhi wale se karo na’ (Debate with a bearded man). We will talk and debate on CAA, NPR and NRC,” the leader of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen(AIMIM) said.
Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal has already challenged Shah for a debate while party colleague P Chidambaram asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi as to why he or his Government did not accept his suggestion of the PM holding an open debate with five critics of the amended Citizenship Act and let people draw their own conclusion.
“I had suggested that the PM should select five of the most articulate critics and hold a Q&A session with them. Why doesn’t the PM/Government accept the suggestion?
“Let five critics of CAA-NPR debate the PM. Let the event be televised live. And let the people draw their own conclusions,” he said on Twitter. In another tweet, he said, “HM (Home Minister) has dared the Opposition to debate CAA. Is that not what the Opposition, jurists, academics, writers, artists, students and youth have been doing since Dec 12?”
