'Will hear CAA petitions once violence stops', says CJI Bobde

New Delhi, Jan 08: Chief Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde on Thursday said he would hear the petitions challenging the constitutionality of the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 only once the nation-wide violence stops.

"As it is, [the] country is going through difficult times," CJI SA Bobde said when the petition was mentioned. "Object should be to bring about peace. Such petitions don't help that."

"There is a presumption of constitutionality of law," he said.

"This court's job is to determine validity of a law and not declare it as constitutional," the bench also comprising justice B R Gavai and Surya Kant said.

The bench said it will hear the petitions challenging validity of CAA when violence stops.

The observation came after advocate Vineet Dhanda sought urgent listing of his plea to declare CAA as constitutional and a direction to all states for implementation of the Act.

The plea has also sought action against activists, students and media houses for "spreading rumours".