President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday hailed the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act as "historic" in his address to the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament, prompting protests by several opposition members.
The President's voice was drowned by the clamour of the protesting members for a few minutes.
"The Citizenship Amendment Act is a historic law. It has fulfilled wishes of our founding fathers including Mahatma Gandhi," he said, triggering the uproar in the Parliament.
In the Parliamentary session held ahead of the beginning of the Budget session, Kovind also said that debate and discussion on any issue strengthen democracy while violence during protests weaken it.
"Debate and discussions strengthen democracy but violence during protests weaken democracy," he said without directly referring to the anti-CAA protests in the country.
Earlier in the day, several opposition leaders, including Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, staged a protest in front of the Gandhi Statue in Parliament premises against the CAA and proposed National Registrar of Citizens (NRC).
