No one needs to fear CAA, NPR, says Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray after meeting Modi

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday backed the Modi government over the contentious CAA-NPR-NRC package and accused a section of political leaders of instigating the people on the issue.

“There is nothing to fear about the CAA. It is not a law to strip anyone of citizenship,” Thackeray told reporters here after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking a clear departure from the views of his alliance partners Congress and the NCP in Maharashtra.

Thackeray also echoed Modi's views on the National Register of Citizens making it clear that the Central government had told Parliament that the exercise was limited to Assam and would not be implemented across the country.

The Maharashtra Chief Minister also supported the National Population Register (NPR), but with a caveat to take up cudgels with the Centre if he found anything objectionable with the questionnaire prepared for the exercise planned to be conducted along with the decadal Census.

The firm assertion of his stand on the testy issues with alliance partners came minutes before Thackeray driving down for an hour-long meeting Congress President Sonia Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence – the first meeting after Shiv Sena walked out of the pre-poll alliance with the BJP to form the coalition government with Congress and NCP.

AICC General Secretary Mallikarjun Kharge described Thackeray's meeting with Gandhi as a "courtesy call".

Thackeray's virtual clean chit to the CAA-NPR-NRC package came at a time when Congress and some opposition parties were planning to block the NPR exercise in the states ruled by them.

Thackeray also skirted questions on the Shaheen Bagh protests on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) taking the plea that he was not a resident of Delhi and hence unaware of the details.

On nation-wide protests against the CAA, the Shiv Sena supremo said it was the handiwork of a section of political leaders who were instigating the protestors.

“I am speaking of facts, no one should be afraid of CAA. NRC is not happening,” Thackeray said.

Thackeray also met BJP veteran L K Advani and was also scheduled to meet Home Minister Amit Shah.

Reaching out to AAP, Thackeray dispatched Maharashtra Education Minister Uday Samant to meet his Delhi counterpart Manish Sisodia to leadn about the AAP's famed model to improve government-run schools.