New Delhi, December 18: The Supreme Court on Wednesday served notice to Centre over the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019. The apex court today heard about petitions challenging the new Citizenship Act. However, the top court refused to put a stop to the act or stay the implementation of the CAA, as demanded in several petitions. The next hearing is on January 22, 2020, said the Supreme Court. Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed Bukhari Says Protest Democratic Right of People, Adds 'CAA Not Threatening Indian Muslims'.

The petitions filed also included petitions by Congress leader Jayram Ramesh and BJP ally in Assam, the Asom Gana Parishad, among others. The three-judge bench that heard the petitions was headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Justice SA Bobde. The other judges on the bench were Justice BR Gavai and Justice Surya Kant.

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Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday led a delegation of Opposition party leaders to meet President Ramnath Kovind. Gandhi, along with other leaders part of the panel, appealed to the President to withdraw the law which has stoked tensions on communal lines. The Sonia Gandhi-led delegation comprised of Congress leaders AK Antony, Anand Sharma and Ghulam Nabi Azad, Trinamool Congress's Derek O'Brien, CPI's D Raja, CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury, RJD's Manoj Jha and Loktantrik Janata Dal's Sharad Yadav.

The Citizenship law protests, which first gripped the Northeast region under tensions, has now ended up stoking unrest in the national capital. Delhi faced the second round of violence over the citizenship law on Tuesday, with protesters setting up a police picket ablaze in Seelampur area of East Delhi.

The protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 intensified after the Delhi Police on Sunday allegedly entered the campus of Jamia Millia Islamia University. The University administration alleged that students were roughed up by the cops in the campus.

In solidarity, students from various universities extended their support to the protests against CAA. The Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 has been called "unconstitutional" and "communal" by the Opposition parties, whereas the government continues to maintain that the bill is not against any religion and only addresses the issues of "minorities persecuted" in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 18, 2019 11:44 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).