Union minister Sanjeev Balyan on Saturday threatened Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav that he 'would not be allowed to contest polls' if he does not fill the National Population Register (NPR).

Opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister had said on December 29 last year that he would boycott the NPR exercise, seen as a precursor to the NRC by critics. He had said that he will not fill the NPR form, requesting his party workers to also follow suit.

Holding a rally in support of the CAA in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur, Balyan said, "Akhilesh Yadav says he wouldn't fill NPR form. If you will not fill it, you will not be allowed to contest polls. This is the rule of law, (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and Yogi (UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath). Those who create disorder would be treated."

The Minister of State for Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy claimed that "students of the age group 12-18 are pelting stones."

"I want to tell you who are these people who are instigating violence in the state. Students between the age groups of 12-18 are pelting stones, madrasa students are on the roads, protesting and spreading violence," he said.

"Who are these people who are spreading lies and dividing people on the basis of religion and spreading rumours?" he asked.

Massive protests have erupted across the country against the new law. Some of the protests, most of them in Uttar Pradesh where 19 people have been killed, turned violent, following which the police launched a massive crackdown arresting hundreds of protesters across the state.

The new law promises citizenship to members of 6 non-Muslim communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who entered India before December 31, 2014.

Critics say that the new law is against the secular nature of the Indian Constitution and clubbed with the NRC may be misused to strip away some Muslims' citizenship in the country. The BJP, however, has argued that the law has nothing to do with India's Muslims and only helps those who fled religious persecution in the neighbouring countries.