Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray, after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence on Friday, 21 February, said that he discussed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Register of Citizens (NRC) with the prime minister and added that nobody needs to be “scared of CAA.”
“We have discussed the Citizenship Amendment Act, National Register of Citizens and National Population Register. I have already cleared my stand on these issues. No one should be scared of CAA,” he said.
“This law (CAA) is not going to take away citizenship of anyone in the country. This law is about giving citizenship to the minorities of the neighboring countries,” he added.
Reiterating his stand on NPR being a process of the Census, he said that if his government finds discrepancies in the process, a decision would be taken on the implementation of NPR.
Upon being asked if his position on the issue would cause a rift with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party – his allies in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the state – Thackeray said that he is in touch with his allies over all such issues and refuted claims of any differences.
“There is no friction among the allies. We are going to run the government for five years,” he said, according to PTI.
Elaborating on his meeting with Modi, Thackeray said he had good discussions with the prime minister on the issues concerning the state.
"I told him that whatever political developments that have taken place, Maharashtra should get cooperation from the Centre. He has promised me...Centre's cooperation," he said, according to PTI.
This is Thackeray’s first meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he took charge as Maharashtra’s CM in November last year.
The chief minister's son Aaditya Thackeray, who is a minister in his Cabinet, accompanied him.
The Shiv Sena chief will also be meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi, veteran BJP leader LK Advani and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Uddhav Meets Amit Shah, Advani & Sonia Gandhi
Thackeray also met Congress President Sonia Gandhi and held discussions on the current political situation and CAA-NPR-NRC.
Thackeray met Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence and the meeting lasted for about half-an-hour. This is the first meeting of Thackeray with Gandhi after the formation of the coalition government in Maharashtra.
Sources told PTI that the leaders are learnt to have discussed the functioning of the 'Maha-Agadi' government of Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP.
Thackeray's stand on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Population Register (NPR) has become a bone of contention among the allies in Maharashtra, as the Congress and the NCP are opposed to the measures.
AICC general secretary in charge of Maharashtra Mallikarjun Kharge and Shiv Sena leaders Aaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Raut were also present during the meeting.
Thackeray also met Home Minister Amit Shah and veteran BJP leader LK Advani at their respective residences.
Thackeray took charge on 28 November as the head of the three-party coalition consisting of the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress.
Thackeray-led Sena joined hands with the NCP and the Congress, its ideological opponents, after snapping ties with the BJP, its long-time ally in Maharashtra, post the Assembly elections in October.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI.)
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