No one should fear CAA, says Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has said that no one needs to be scared of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

The Shiv Sena chief, who has vociferously opposed the possibilities of a pan-India implementation of the National Register of Citizens, reiterated once again that the two are not related. Assuring people that the two (CAA and NRC) are different issues, he promised the latter would not be implemented in Maharashtra.

The CM has, however, backed the National Population Register (NPR) and said he will personally see to it that there are no impediments while it is exercised in his state.

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray: If NRC is implemented then it will affect not only Hindus or Muslims but also Adivasis. Centre has not discussed NRC as of now. NPR is a census, and I don’t find that anyone will be affected as it happens every ten years. https://t.co/e8AdMif6ks

— ANI (@ANI) February 18, 2020

Thackeray said: “CAA and NRC are different, and NPR is different. No one has to worry if CAA gets implemented. NRC is not there and will not be implemented in the state.”

In a press interaction at Sindhudurg, the Sena leader further pointed out that the implementation of NRC would not only affect Hindus or Muslims but also the tribal population of India.

He added: “While the Centre has not discussed NRC as yet, the NPR is a census exercise that takes place every ten years; I don’t find it problematic.”

Interestingly, the Shiv Sena initially supported the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’s Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) but changed its stance when the Bill was tabled in Rajya Sabha. Meanwhile, its alliance partners -- Congress and Nationalist Congress Party – have been voicing different opinions about NPR.