Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Maurya on Saturday accused opposition parties of vitiating atmosphere in the state by misleading people on the Citizenship Amendment Act.

He said the Opposition, particularly the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, publicized the CAA as a law which infringes citizenship of minorities.

The BJP will launch a programme in the state from January 1 to make public aware about the CAA, Maurya told reporters in the evening.

"The entire country is praising this Act but the Congress, the SP and the TMC are creating wrong impression among people regarding the CAA. This has resulted in countrywide riots and arson. The government property was reduced to ashes," he said.

The government will punish them as per the law, Maurya added.