‘No One Should be Scared of CAA’, Says Uddhav Thackeray After Meeting PM Modi; Hints at Implementing NPR in Maharashtra

"NRC will not be implemented across the country. If we see any dangers hitting the citizens, we will oppose it then", Sena president stated. 

New Delhi: ‘No one should be scared of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as it won’t take away citizenship from anyone’, said Maharashtra CM and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence on Friday.

Addressing reporters after the meeting, Thackeray asserted that PM Modi has assured that there will not be a nationwide exercise to make people prove their citizenship through a National Register of Citizens (NRC). “NRC will not be implemented across the country. If we see any dangers hitting the citizens, we will oppose it then”, Sena president stated.

Notably, Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier announced plans of a pan-India NRC in Parliament, which triggered massive protest across the country. However, after PM Modi contradicted him on the controversial issue at a rally in the national capital, Shah stated that there was discussion on a nationwide NRC.

“We have discussed on Citizenship Amendment Act, National Register of Citizens and National Population Register.I have already cleared my stance on these issues. No one should be scared of CAA. 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”, Thackeray told reporters.

Speaking about the National Population Register (NPR), the Chief Minister said that the ‘misconceptions’ need to be cleared. “The exercise of NPR is also not to push anyone out of the country. It is about the census that happens every 10 years”, the Sena president stated, hinting at implementing the NPR in Maharashtra.