No need to fear CAA, NCR, says CM Uddhav Thackeray

PM Narendra Modi meets CM for the first time since latter broke away from alliance with BJP to form MVA government

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Friday, reiterated that there was nothing to worry about the CAA and also clarified that his party supported the NPR as the two won't snatch anyone's citizenship.

Uddhav, accompanied by son Aaditya, met Modi for the first time since breaking away from the alliance with the BJP and joining hands with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) last year.

Fruitful talk
Uddhav said the interaction was fruitful, as Modi not only clarified the doubts about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), National Population Register (NPR) and the proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC), but also assured cooperation to the state government.

"I have clarified my stand on CAA to the PM. There is no need to fear the law because it will not scrap citizenship," he said. Uddhav had earlier voiced the Shiv Sena's support to the NPR, and today he cleared his party's stand on the NRC as well.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Uddhav said Modi has assured him that the NRC was only for Assam. "We don't oppose NPR because it is part of the census exercise. The NPR is not to push someone out of the country. The misconceptions need to be cleared," he added.

Congress, NCP miffed
The Congress and the NCP are miffed over Uddhav's stand on NPR and CAA. With Uddhav's mild stand on the NCR, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is expected to suffer more turbulence.

The chief minister also said that Modi has extended support to the Maharashtra government for the welfare of the people and development of the state.

He also mentioned that there was no power struggle between the MVA government and the Governor, who has turned down an ordinance related to the sarpanch elections and a recommendation to nominate two NCP members to the upper house.

'No friction in MVA'
Uddhav also met Congress president Sonia Gandhi later in the evening. Before the meeting, he had stressed that there was full cooperation in the MVA and that the coalition will undoubtedly complete the five-year term. "There is no friction between us [the MVA partners]," he said.

The details of the CM's meeting with Gandhi were not immediately available. Uddhav was also expected to meet BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani and Union Home Minister Amit Shah later in the night.

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