Union Minister Ramdas Athawale urges CM Uddhav Thackeray to implement CAA in Maharashtra

While speaking on the issue of CAA in Maharashtra, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray that the NRC was not an issue right now, and the focus should be on the implementation of CAA in the state. He stated that the Shiv Sena had previously raised their voice against the Bangladeshi infiltrators in the state multiple times, therefore, bringing in CAA was the only way to sieve these infiltrators out. 

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"Uddhav said NRC will not be implemented in Mumbai. NRC is not an issue right now, but CAA needs to be implemented. Earlier Shiv Sena had raised lots of voice against Bangladeshi infiltrators. CAA is for that only, to remove infiltrators. Maharashtra should implement CAA here," said Ramdas Athawale. 

Earlier Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut had justified the party's stand on Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) and said NRC will cause a problem for both Hindus and Muslims in Maharashtra and so the Maha Vikas Aghadi will not implement it in the state.

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Uddhav backs CAA

Taking an absolutely different stand from its alliance partners in the state, Uddhav Thackeray stated that the CAA did not take away anyone’s citizenship. Speaking exclusively to Sena mouthpiece Saamana, Thackeray agreed that this was a law to provide citizenship to persecuted minorities from other countries. He also asserted that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government would not bring in a resolution in the state Assembly against the CAA. 

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“First, we will talk about the CAA. We have persecuted minorities in our neighbouring countries. In fact, they are Hindus. Pakistan and Bangladesh are Islamic countries. CAA is not a law to drive out people of the country. Amit Shah has said that this is a law to give citizenship. I agree with that. It is a law to give citizenship to the persecuted people of our neighbouring countries.” 

Read: Sanjay Raut justifies CM Uddhav's CAA stance; says action against 'anti-nationals' a must