Opposition MPs protests as President Ram Nath Kovind hails CAA

New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday hailed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as a "historic law" in his joint address to Parliament, following which Opposition MPs protested by raising slogans during the address while the treasury benches thumped in his support.

In his address, President Kovind said the people of India have given a historic mandate to the Narendra Modi government for developing a new India and the government has taken strong steps to make this decade India's decade.

Listing the highlights of the Narendra Modi government in his joint address, President Kovind said the government took historic decisions like the Citizenship Amendment Act, Article 370, triple talaq, among other issues of national importance.

Speaking about the Citizenship Amendment Act, the President said after the Partition, Mahatma Gandhi had said that Hindus and Sikhs who don't want to reside in Pakistan can come to India and it is the Indian government's responsibility to provide them means to lead normal life.

"Supporting this vision of Mahatma Gandhi, various governments from time-to-time have taken steps to further this. It is our duty to honour the wishes of our founding fathers.

I am happy that by passing the Citizenship Amendment Act with a majority, both the houses of Parliament have fulfilled the wishes of Mahatma Gandhi," Kovind said.