In a series of tweets, the senior Congress leader said the Prime Minister should consider debating the issue with five of his most articulate critics

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) conferred citizenship rights instead of taking it away, former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Monday suggested that Mr. Modi have a televised debate on the issue.

In a series of tweets, the senior Congress leader said the Prime Minister should consider debating the issue with five of his most articulate critics.

“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,” the former home minister said.

“PM is not talking to his critics. The critics do not have an opportunity to talk to the PM. 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,” he said.

“Let the people listen to the discussion and reach their conclusions on the CAA. I sincerely hope PM will respond favourably to this suggestion,” he added.

The former Union Minister said that Mr. Modi talked from high platforms but did not take questions from anyone on the issue.

On Sunday, the Prime Minister spoke at a function in Kolkata where he reiterated his government’s stand that the CAA conferred rights instead of taking it away and the issue had now helped raise international awareness about minorities being persecuted in Pakistan.

“PM says that CAA 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,” Mr. Chidambaram said.