BSP ready for Shah's challenge for CAA debate: Mayawati; Akhilesh wants debate on development

Union Home Minister Amit Shah's open challenge to the opposition for a debate on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was on Wednesday accepted by BSP supremo Mayawati while SP chief Akhilesh Yadav threw a counter challenge for a debate on development.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also responded to the challenge, telling Shah, 'Daadi wale se karo na' (Debate with a bearded man).

Accusing the opposition of "misleading" people on the amended citizenship law, Shah on Tuesday threw the challenge for the debate to Rahul Gandhi(Congress), Mamata Banerjee(Trinamool Congress), Akhilesh Yadav(Samajwadi Party) and Mayawati(Bahujan Samaj Party).

"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.

Asked by reporters in Lucknow about Shah's challenge, Akhilesh Yadav said, "I challenge the BJP for a debate on development."
"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?
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?"