Oppn leaders wear black arm bands during Prez address

Leaders of 14 opposition parties, including the Congress on Friday wore black arm bands during the President's address to both houses of Parliament to protest against the amended citizenship act, National Population Register and National Register of Citizens.

Leaders of these parties also sat together in one block in the Central hall of the Parliament during the President's address.

Leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha and Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha also left their designated seats in the front row to sit with the block.

The black bands were worn as a mark of protest against the alleged attack on the Constitution of India with the passage of the amended citizenship act by the government, leaders said.

Opposition members also protested after President Ram Nath Kovind hailed the Citizenship Amendment Act in his address.

As soon as the president made these remarks, some opposition members shouted "shame, shame" and displayed banners in the Central hall.

Among the leaders of opposition parties who wore black bands were the Nationalist Congress Party, the Samajwadi Party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Communist Party of India-Marxist, the CPI, the Shiv Sena, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, the Janata Dal-Secular, the Revolutionary Socialist Party, the Kerala Congress-M, the Indian Union Muslim League and the National Conference, besides the Congress, sources said.

Earlier in the day, top Congress leaders led by Sonia Gandhi staged a protest near Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Parliament complex to save the Constitution and express solidarity with those protesting against the Citizenship Act, National Register of Citizens and National Population Register.

Sonia Gandhi was accompanied by party leader Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, senior leaders Motilal Vohra, Ahmed Patel, Adhir Ranjan Choudhury, AK Antony and all party MPs from Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha.

They held placards on 'Save the Constitution' and raised anti-government slogans while expressing solidarity with the protesters against the CAA, NPR and NRC.