CAA Protests: BSP delegation meets President Kovind over police action in Jamia

New Delhi, Dec 18: The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Wednesday met President Ram Nath Kovind today and sought the repeal of the new Citizenship Act.

The BSP, which was not part of other Opposition parties in their visit to the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday, met the President separately.

"We had sought time from President Ram Nath Kovind and would be meeting him tomorrow morning," BSP leader Danish Ali told PTI.

He said all the party MPs from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha would be meeting him on Wednesday and would seek his intervention in repealing the amended citizenship law and also on the violence in various campuses where police beat up students.

Leaders of Opposition parties on Tuesday knocked on the doors of the President and urged him to intervene on the issue of violence in central universities and advise the Modi government to withdraw the "unconstitutional and divisive" amended citizenship law.

Earlier on Tuesday, a delegation of Opposition leaders led by Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi met President Ram Nath Kovind in the wake of nationwide protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Leaders of at least 12 parties, including the Congress, CPI(M), CPI, DMK, SP, TMC, RJD, National Conference, IUML and AIUDF, were part of the delegation.

While speaking to media after the meeting President Kovind, Sonia Gandhi said that the delegation expressed their concerns over Centre's implementation of the controversial law.

"Situation in the country is very serious at the moment and may spread to other parts of the country," she cautioned.

"We have an example in Delhi where Police entered the Jamia women hostel and dragged them out, it mercilessly beat students. I think you all have seen that Modi govt seems to have no compassion when it comes to shutting down people's voices and implement legislation," she said.

The opposition leaders had on Monday said they would lodge their protest with the president against the government over the police action and the amendments to the citizenship law.