President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday hailed the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act as 'historic' in his address to joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament, prompting protests by some Opposition members.

He also said that debate and discussion on any issue strengthens democracy while violence during protests weaken it.

'The Citizenship (Amendment) Act is a historic law. It has fulfilled wishes of our founding fathers including Mahatma Gandhi,' he said.

'Debate and discussions strengthen democracy but violence during protests weaken democracy,' he said without directly referring to the anti-CAA protests in the country some of which have witnessed violence.

In a reference to abrogation of Article 370, Kovind said there is happiness among people of India that people in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have got rights on par with the rest of the country.

The President said Parliament has created record in the first seven months of the new government headed by Narendra Modi by enacting several landmark legislations.

'My government is taking strong steps for making this decade as India's decade and this century as India's century,' he said.

Meanwhile, 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 CAA, NRC and NPR.

The Congress MPs in both Houses also attended the joint sitting of Parliament in Central Hall wearing black bands on their arms during the President's address.

The MPs wearing the bands were sitting together in one block after giving up their designated seats. The bands were worn as a mark of protest against the alleged attack on the Constitution of India by the passage of the amended citizenship act by the Modi government.

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, A.K. Antony and all party MPs from Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha.

They held placards on Save the Constitution and raised anti-government slogans.