Chidambaram Suggests Live Q&A Session Of PM Modi And Critics On New Citizenship Law
The Congress leader said he hoped that the prime minister would respond favourably to his suggestion.
Asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not talking to his critics, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday urged him to select five critics and have a televised question and answer session on Citizenship Amendment Act so that people can reach their own conclusions on the law.
The Congress leader said he hoped that the prime minister would respond favourably to his suggestion.
"PM says that Citizenship Amendment Act is meant to give citizenship, not take it away. Many of us believe that Citizenship Amendment Act (in conjunction with National Population Register or National Register of Citizens) will declare many persons as 'non-citizens' and take away citizenship," the former home minister said.
"PM talks from high platforms to silent audiences and does not take questions. We talk through the media and are willing to take questions from media persons," he added.
The prime minister is not talking to his critics and they do not have an opportunity to talk to him, Chidambaram said in a series of tweets.
"The only way out is for the PM to select five of his most articulate critics and have a televised questions and answers session with them. Let the people listen to the discussion and reach their conclusions on Citizenship Amendment Act," he said.
Chidambaram's suggestion comes after Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday termed the Citizenship Amendment Act a "discriminatory and divisive" law whose "sinister" purpose was to divide people on religious lines, and asserted that the NPR in form and content was "disguised NRC".