Published 22:02 IST, February 21st 2020
Maha CM Uddhav Thackeray changes track post-Sonia meeting, raises doubts about CAA and NPR
A few minutes after meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray on Friday made a big U-turn on his stance on the CAA and the NPR
A few minutes after meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray made a big U-turn on his stance on the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Population Register. Apart from the Maharashtra CM, his son Aaditya, party MP Sanjay Raut and senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge were also present in the meeting with Sonia Gandhi. In a series of tweets, Thackeray made statements that seemed to contradict some of his remarks in the press briefing post his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
‘If NPR seems problematic, we won’t take it ahead’
In the press conference, Thackeray had asserted that the NPR was a regular exercise like the census. However, writing on Twitter, he added a significant caveat. According to him, the Maharashtra government would not allow NPR in the state if the new columns proposed in the NPR forms were found to be problematic after scrutiny. This is the first time that Shiv Sena has hinted at the possibility of not implementing the NPR.
‘Implementation, practicality and settlement’
Thackeray made a significant departure from his assertion that no individual needed to worry about the CAA. On Twitter, he used the word ‘seems’ before saying that the legislation wouldn’t take away anyone’s citizenship, hinting at a lack of clarity on the subject. Moreover, the Maharashtra CM cast aspersion over the implementation and practicality of the CAA.
U-turn by Shiv Sena
Such flip-flops by Shiv Sena have been witnessed repeatedly since the formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in November 2019. After breaking the alliance with BJP over the issue of rotational CM post, the Sena has been perceived to have compromised on its core ideological beliefs due to alleged pressure from its new allies Congress and NCP. While Thackeray openly went against the NCP’s demand in the Elgar Parishad case, he has avoided antagonising the Congress party.
For instance, the Maharashtra CM refused to take a categorical position on Rahul Gandhi’s insulting reference to freedom fighter Veer Savarkar. During the recent interview with Saamana, Thackeray also refused to comment on Congress leader Ashok Chavan’s astonishing claim that his party formed the government on the instruction of the minority community. Furthermore, the fact that Maharashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray directed people to view his father’s tweets instead of the video of the press conference, indicates that the Sena wanted to recalibrate its position on the CAA and NPR.
Updated 22:02 IST, February 21st 2020