Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister, Uddhav Thackeray, supported the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) saying that no one should worry about the CAA. His statement is an indication that the Maha Vikas Aghadi comprising Shiv Sena, NCP and the Congress is having a tough time staying together.
The Chief Minister said that there was nothing to worry about the CAA if gets implemented. He also supported the National Population Register (NPR) saying it is a census which happens every ten years and no one will be affected by it.
However, he had reservations about the National Register of Citizens, which he said he would not implement in the state.
Uddhav Thackeray’s strong support to the CAA and the NPR has come against the public stand of Congress and the NCP, both of which have opposed the central government against the implementation of the CAA.
The Chief Minister clearly knows that his base support comes from the nationalist Hindu voters and if he alienates them then his future and the future of his party would be in jeopardy.
However, Uddhav Thackeray’s support for the CAA has irked his allies who wanted him to toe their line. After the Chief Minister’s statement, NCP chief, Sharad Pawar said, “Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray has his own view but as far as the NCP is concerned, we had voted against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.”