CAA law is “historic”: Ram Nath Kovind

New Delhi, Jan 31 (HS): President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday, during a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament, hailed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as “historic”. The President’s remarks prompted  protests by some opposition members.

“The Citizenship Amendment Act is a historic law. It has fulfilled wishes of our founding fathers including Mahatma Gandhi,” Kovind said.

Without directly referring to the protests made across the country in opposition of CAA, NPR and NRC, the President said that debate and discussion on any issue strengthens democracy while violence during protests weaken it.

“Debate and discussions strengthen democracy but violence during protests weaken democracy,” Ram Nath Kovind said.

Invoking the father of nation, President Kovind said, Mahatma Gandhi had said, Hindus and Sikhs of Pakistan who don’t wish to live there can come to India. It is the duty of the Government of India to ensure a normal life for them.

Following the statement made by Kovind, the ruling coalition started thumping the desk. The desk-thumping was so long that President Kovind had to stop thrice before he could continue his address. Some of the members shouted slogans.

Addressing both the Houses, Kovind said that the Parliament has created record in the first seven months of the new government headed by Narendra Modi by enacting several landmark legislation.

“My government is taking strong steps for making this decade as India’s decade and this century as India’s century,” he said.

In a reference to abrogation of Article 370, Kovind said there is happiness among people of India that people in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have got rights at par with the rest of the country.