The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) said that the organisation ready for a debate on contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and NRC with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Accepting minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s invitation to debate on the issues, AASU chief advisor Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharya said even Union Home Minister Amit Shah and any other BJP leader, including Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal or State Cabinet minister Himanta Biswa Sarma can join the debate to which the students’ body would have no objection.

In view of the anti-CAA protests led by the AASU across Assam, minister Sarma had challenged Bhattacharyya to join him for a debate in Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra on the CAA, NRC and other issues.

“We are ready for the debate, provided Prime Minister Narendra Modi come down for the same,” Bhattacharya said.

“He, however, can take along home minister or the State BJP leaders like Sarbananda Sonowal and Himanta Biswa Sarma. The level of debate over the issue of such magnitude should not be scaled down for the greater interest of the people of Assam,” he added.

“When the AASU leadership raised all these issues with facts and figures during the meeting with Amit Shah, both Sonowal and Sarma were present.

“But, none of them had an answer to our points back then. If a public debate has to happen now, it must be in the presence of Modi. People of Assam have a number of questions for which they want an answer from the Prime Minister,” added the AASU leader.