‘Took stand on CAA,NPR after a dialogue with allies’
THACKERAY ALSO TAUNTED THE BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY (BJP) FOR THE VIOLENCE DURING THE ANTI-CAA PROTESTS IN THE STATES LIKE UTTAR PRADESH AND DELHI
MUMBAI: Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday maintained his stance on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) that the law did not take away any one’s citizenship and there was no need to fear it.
He also said his stand on the CAA-NRC-NPR is well thought of and decided after holding consultations with the NCP and the Congress, the other constituents of the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
Thackeray also taunted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the violence during the anti-CAA protests in the states like Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.
“The protests against the CAA have been staged in Maharashtra very peacefully unlike the states where the law and order is the responsibility of the BJP. The attack on the JNU students in Delhi was not less than a ‘terror attack,” he said.
Meanwhile, just a couple of days after he backed the National Population Register (NPR), Thackeray announced that a high-power committee comprising members from all three ruling parties would study it before any decision was made on its implementation in the state.
“I do not see any objectionable content in the NPR, but we will check if there is anything objectionable and whether only relevant information has been sought in the NPR. The committee of the three senior members will study it,” said the chief minister, speaking to media persons on the eve of the budget session of the state legislature that begins Monday.
Thackeray softened his stand on NPR reportedly after Congress and NCP expressed their unhappiness over the his support to it. Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, deputy chief minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar met Thackeray and reportedly asserted their opinion on the issue.
Congress leader Manish Tewari had tweeted on Friday that Thackeray needs to be briefed about the CAA and NPR.
“Thackeray needed to understand how NPR was the basis of NRC. Once you do NPR, you cannot stop NRC,” he tweeted.
So Thackeray’s statements are seen as a bid to balance out the differences on contentious issues to avoid embarrassment in the session. He said even though the law was passed by the Centre and the contents of the NPR were decided by it, the citizens have the right to decide how to live.
The CM said that the three ruling parties were on the same page as far as the implementation the NPR goes and there was no discord among them.
However, Leader of Opposition in the assembly and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the NPR is being rolled out under the Central law along with the census.
“This is a stringent law and it cannot be challenged. The census department of the government will decide questions and the format. If hurdles are created in its implementation, one can face even criminal proceedings.”