Amit Shah, Adityanath are 'babas', tell lies about CAA, says Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday implicitly compared Union Home Minister Amit Shah with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and called the duo "babas" (saints) alleging that both are are telling lies about Citizenship Amendment Act.

His statement came after Shah held a rally in Lucknow on Tuesday to garner support for the CAA. Yadav said that the public will not fall for the "tricks of hypocrites" to extend support to the CAA.

"Was one Baba not enough in the state? Now, another Baba has come to give his discourse. Due to the way these hypocrites have tricked the public's confidence, the citizens will never back them in the support of the Citizenship Amendment Act," Yadav tweeted in Hindi.

"People will say this to the 'liar Baba'.. Baba, if you go this time ... then never come back," he further said.

Addressing a gathering at the Jan Jagaran Abhiyan here, Shah on Tuesday asserted that the opposition is free to protest against the CAA but the law will not be rolled back.

He further questioned the opposition party leaders for their stance on the citizenship law."Akhilesh Yadav should not say anything on this matter as he uses rhetoric on this issue. I also ask Mamata Banerjee what is the problem with CAA. Mamata had supported the idea of providing citizenship to persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries in 2003," he said.

Protests broke out in different parts of the country against the CAA which grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghstan and Bangladesh and who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

( With inputs from ANI )