No Need To Fear CAA, NPR: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray After Meeting PM Narendra Modi

No one needs to fear about the CAA as it is not meant for throwing anyone out of the country, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Friday, after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Shiv Sena chief said an atmosphere is being created in the country that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is "dangerous" for Muslims, but added that the exercise will not be carried out in Maharashtra. Talking to reporters after his meeting with Modi that lasted nearly an hour, Thackeray said he had a discussion on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the National Population Register (NPR) and the NRC.

"I have made my stand clear on all these issues. No one has to fear about CAA. I had said CAA is not a legislation to throw anyone out of the country," the Shiv Sena chief told reporters.

His son Aaditya Thackeray, also a minister in his cabinet, accompanied him during the meeting. This was Uddhav Thackeray's first visit to the national capital after taking over as the chief minister of Maharashtra. He later met Congress President Sonia Gandhi, veteran BJP leader LK Advani and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Thackeray's Shiv Sena was earlier a part of the BJP-led NDA, but formed the "Maha Vikas Aghadi" government in Maharashtra with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) after parting ways with the saffron party.

The Congress and the NCP, along with some other opposition parties, have been critical of the CAA-NPR-NRC, and the matter has created discord among the Maharashtra alliance partners.

Thackeray said the Centre has already made its stand clear in Parliament that NRC will not be implemented across the country.

Sources said the leaders discussed the functioning of the state government.

"Talking about NPR and Census...the census happens every 10 years and it is important that it takes place. I have assured all the citizens of my state that no one's right will be taken away." 

"An atmosphere is being created about NRC that it is going to be dangerous for Muslims," he said.

Thackeray said the NPR is also not to drive anybody out of the country.

"Chief minister Thackeray has his own view over the issue. We have voted against CAA. We have a coalition government in Maharashtra and we will have a discussion on it soon," NCP leader Sharad Pawar had said earlier this week, giving an indication of differences over the issue.

Thackeray, however, ruled out any discord.

"There is no friction among the allies. We are going to run the government for five years," he said.

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Elaborating on his meeting with Modi, Thackeray said he had good discussions with the prime minister on the issues concerning the state.

"I (Thackeray) 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.

"The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Uddhav Thackeray as well as Minister in the Maharashtra Government, Shri @AUThackeray called on PM @narendramodi. @OfficeofUT," the PMO tweeted.

The chief minister also discussed issues pertaining to the payment of Maharashtra's share in the GST collections and non-availability of crop insurance companies under a government scheme in 10 districts of the state.