Yogendra Yadav said the ongoing protests were a way for people to vent out their "suffocation".
Criticising the Centre over the Citizenship Amendment Act, Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav said it is unfortunate that Prime Minister Narendra Modi can only see the "white cap" and "hijab" (worn by Muslims) but not the national flag in the hands of lakhs of people.
He said the ongoing protests across the country against some decisions of the Centre were a way for people to vent out their "suffocation".
The politician-activist was addressing a rally in Bhiwandi town on Saturday night to oppose CAA, the proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR).
Maharashtra Housing Minister Jitendra Awhad, JD(S) national general secretary and Justice (retd) B G Kolse-Patil and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)student leader Umar Khalid also addressed the gathering. "Modi can only see the white cap and "hijab" and not not the tricolour in the hands of lakhs of people which is unfortunate. The suffocation in the country has come out through these agitations," Mr Yadav said.
He also said that the agitation at Shaheen Bagh in Delhi has "proved the power of women".
The protesters, who are opposing the CAA and NRC, have been sitting on protest at Shaheen Bagh for over a month. The road is a key link between Noida and Delhi and has been closed by Noida Traffic Police in view of the ongoing protests.