Akhilesh Yadav accepts Amit Shah challenge to debate on CAA; Owaisi dares BJP

"I am ready to debate with BJP leaders on CAA and NRC. But the BJP should also debate on the issues like economic slowdown, unemployment, poverty and death of people due to government harassment," he said responding to the challenge of Amit Shah to leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav and Mamata Banerjee to debate on the issue.

Addressing a gathering on the occasion of the death anniversary of Haneshwar Mishra also called as Chote Lohia here at the Janeshwar Mishra Park, Mr Yadav alleged that the BJP government was playing with the Constitution.

"Every citizen of the country is agitated over CAA as it was for the first time a law was made on religion line", he stated.

Reiterating his demand for caste based census, he further said that by bringing controversial CAA, the BJP has defamed the country.

" Protest against the CAA has spread out in the entire country and even in other parts of the world. Women leading the protest proves the annoyance of the people against this Act," he further stated.

Mr Yadav also slammed Mr Shah for using deregotary language over CAA protest and even challenging the people.

Talking about late Janeshwar Mishra he said Chote Lohia was a great socialist leader and even his father Mulayam Singh Yadav was his big follower.

"The socialist contributed a lot on the country's development', he added.

Meanwhile, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has thrown a challenge to Amit Shah to encounter him on CAA.

"Why debate with them [Mamata-Akhilesh-Rahul]? Debate with me," the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) supremo said at a rally in Telangana's Karimnagar, according to an ANI report.