New Delhi, December 17: With protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) flaring across the nation, 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, were appealed the President to withdraw the law which has stoked tensions on communal lines.Ā Amit Shah Appeals to Students to 'Understand' CAA, Accuses Congress, AAP and TMC of Stoking Unrest.

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 parliamentary group of Bahujan Samaj Party is scheduled to separately call upon the President at 10:30 am tomorrow.

"The situation in the Northeast which is now spreading throughout country including the capital because of the Act, is a very serious situation, we fear that it may spread even further. We are anguished at the manner in which police dealt with peaceful demonstration," she told reporters after meeting the President.

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

Update by ANI

The CAA, which first gripped the Northeast region under tensions, has now ended up stoking unrest in the national capital region. 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.

Several vehicles were also vandalised in the violent anti-CAA protests today, as the miscreants resorted to stone-pelting. Two policemen, along with several protesters, were injured in the violence. The Delhi Police has deployed the riot control squad to bring the situation under control.

The incidents of arson and vandalism comes two days after miscreants, who were part of a protest march being carried out by Jamia Millia Islamia students, ended up setting four DTC buses on fire. This had prompted the Delhi Police to barge into the Jamia campus and launch a crackdown against the students and staff members.

In wake of the unrest, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had repeatedly issued statements appealing for peace. "I make an appeal to all the citizens of Delhi to maintain peace. No form of violence is acceptable in a civilised society. Nothing can be gained by violence. We should put forth our opinion peacefully," he said, shortly after the violence was reported in Seelampur region.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 17, 2019 05:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).