Uddhav goes against allies, backs NPR

Maha CM says people should not be worried about CAA, but NRC will not be implemented in state

Even as the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress continue to oppose the National Population Register (NPR), chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has said he would not block NPR in the state.

“The NRC (National Register of Citizens) and the CAA are two different issues. No one has to worry if CAA gets implemented. But the NRC will not be implemented in the state,” Mr Thackeray said on Tuesday.

On the NPR, Mr Thackeray said he would personally check the columns in the NPR to ensure there would not be any problem with the exercise. “NPR is a census and I will go through columns given in the form. I don’t think there will be any problem with it. The census is carried out every ten years,” the CM said while addressing the media at Sindhudurg.

“If NRC is implemented then it will affect not only Hindus or Muslims but also adivasis. The Centre has not discussed NRC as of now,” he added.

However, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said that Mr Thackeray is entitled to his personal views but all coalition partners in Maharashtra would soon have a detailed discussion on the CAA.

“We will convince Mr Thackeray on the CAA,”

he said.

The differences among the MVA government constituents — Sena, NCP and Congress — came to fore after the Shiv Sena had walked out during voting in the Rajya Sabha but spoke out against the CAA, whereas the NCP

and Congress voted against the act. Later, Mr Thackeray made it clear that there is no reason to be afraid of the citizenship law. The NPR is aimed at creating the allIndia National Register of Citizens.