After PM Narendra Modi, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray Meets Home Minister Amit Shah

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who landed in the national capital along with his son Aaditya Thackeray on Friday, held a series of meeting with different leaders across party lines. In his first official tour to New Delhi after becoming the chief minister of Maharashtra, Thackeray met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where both leaders discussed the citizenship act and other important issues. Uddhav also met Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader LK Advani and later in the evening was called on Home Minister Amit Shah. 

After meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uddhav said that the PM has assured that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will not be implemented nation-wide and the National Population Register (NPR) is not going to throw anyone out of country. Addressing the media after a meeting with Modi in Delhi earlier in the evening, Thackeray said: "We have discussed on Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), NRC and NPR. I have already cleared my stance on these issues. No one should be scared of the CAA."

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"This law (CAA) is not to take away citizenship from anyone. However, this law is about giving citizenship to the minorities of the neighboring countries," the Maharashtra CM said.

He also denied that there was any friction among the constituents of the “Maha Aghadi”, while asserting that the Maharashtra government will complete its five-year term. The Congress and the NCP are reportedly miffed over the chief minister's stand on NPR and CAA.

"There is no friction among the allies. We are going to run the government for five years," Thackeray said. He also said the prime minister had assured him of extending all cooperation to the Maharashtra government. Earlier this month, Thackeray said there was no need to fear the CAA, but asserted his government would not allow the proposed NRC to be implemented as it would "impact people of all religions".

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Throwing out Bangladeshi and Pakistani migrants out of the country was an old demand of the Shiv Sena, the chief minister said in the third and concluding part of his interview to party mouthpiece 'Saamana'. “I can confidently say the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is not meant to throw Indian citizens out of the country. But, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is going to impact Hindus as well," the Sena president had said. Under the NRC, all citizens will have to prove their citizenship. In Assam, 19 lakh people could not prove their citizenship. Of these, 14 lakh are Hindus, Thackeray claimed.

(With Agency Inputs)