Don't worry about NRC, Muslims should not fear CAA: Uddhav Thackeray

Mumbai, 5th February 2020, Wednesday

Uddhav Thackeray, Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shiv Sena, had agreed that we should not allow the implementation of the National Register of Citizenship. Apart from the Hindus, the NRC is a matter of concern for other communities and tribes.

Speaking about the new law on citizenship, he said that this issue should be discussed because citizenship is here to give, not to take. If the misunderstanding is spreading it should be avoided.

He said that the fact that Hindus are in the minority in neighboring country Pakistan and they are being oppressed is a wake-up call. The CAA talks about granting citizenship to those who come here. It is not a matter of stripping one's citizenship. There are two Islamic countries in our neighborhood - Pakistan and Bangladesh.

He said that the central government should disclose the number of Hindu refugees who came and gave citizenship. The issue of where such refugees will live, what facilities they will receive, how their children are educated, etc. also decreases.

While saying that the Muslims of the country are very scared, Thackeray said that Muslims who are citizens of the country have no reason to fear. Speaking on the NRC, he said that Muslims should not be scared on this issue as all people have to prove that they are citizens.

People who are not citizens and have illegally entered the country in one way or another have to fear. Hindu Muslims all fall into this. Speaking of Assam, there are 19 million people who could not prove citizenship. Of the 19 lakhs, 14 lakhs are Hindus. So it's not enough just for Muslims.