‘PM Not Talking’: Chidambaram Proposes Q&A Between Modi, His 5 Critics As CAA Protests Rage on

New Delhi: Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not engaging in a dialogue over the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which has led to massive protests across the country ever since its introduction in the Parliament last month.

Asserting that Modi is not talking to his critics, senior Congress leader in a series of tweets urged him to select five critics and have a televised question and answer session on CAA so that people can draw their own conclusions on the issue.

"PM says that CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) is meant to give citizenship, not take it away. Many of us believe that CAA (in conjunction with NPR or NRC) will declare many persons as 'non-citizens' and take away citizenship," Chidambaram 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. 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 Q and A session with them. Let the people listen to the discussion and reach their conclusions on CAA. I sincerely hope PM will respond favourably to this suggestion," he said.

Chidambaram's suggestion comes a day after Modi, during his address from Belur Math - the headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission in West Bengal – insisted that the new law would not take away anybody's citizenship. Modi also said that a section of the youth was being misguided about the CAA.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi had on Saturday termed the CAA a "discriminatory and divisive" law whose "sinister" purpose was to divide people on religious lines, and asserted that the NPR (National Population Register) in form and content was "disguised NRC (National Register of Citizens)".