BSP ready to accept govt's challenge for debate on CAA: Mayawati

Bahujan Samajwi Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Wednesday said her party is rey for a debate on CAA on any platform, a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah threw a challenge to Opposition. dressing a rally in support of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Luckw on Tuesday, Shah h dared, besides Mayawati, Congress leer Rahul Gandhi, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and Samajwi Party president Akhilesh Yav to debate with him on law on a 'sarvjanik manch' (public platform).

'BSP rey to accept challenge thrown by Centre'

" BSP is rey to accept challenge thrown by central government, which is troubled by organised struggle and agitation all over country against most controversial CAA/NRC/NPR, especially by youth and women, for a debate on issue on any platform and anywhere," Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi.

According to CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Banglesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, to escape religious persecution re will t be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship. It does t include Muslims.

Those opposing CAA contend that it discriminates on basis of religion and violates Constitution. y also allege that CAA along with National Register of Citizens (NRC) is intended to target Muslim community in India. However, central government has dismissed allegations, maintaining that law is intended to give citizenship to persecuted mirities from three neighbouring countries and t to take away anyone's citizenship.