Mumbai, February 2: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has ruled out the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in his state, adding that proving citizenship would be difficult for both Hindus and Muslims. In an interview with Sanjay Raut, editor of Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana, Uddhav Thackeray, however, maintained that the Citizenship Amendment Act won't affect the citizenship of any Indian. Why Citizenship Amendment Act+NRC Raise Fear And Concerns: A Multi-Dimensional Take.

Asked about implementation of NRC in Maharashtra, Thackeray said: "Proving citizenship will be difficult for both Hindus and Muslims. I will not let that happen." On the amended citizenship law, the Chief Minister opined: "CAA is not a law to remove anybody from the country." Thackeray's Shiv Sena voted in favour of the CAA in Lok Sabha, but did not back the legislation in Rajya Sabha after the Congress objected to its stand.

The Shiv Sena is in power in Maharashtra in coalition with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Earlier, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar advised the Maharashtra government not to implement the CAA and NRC. While Thackeray has taken a stand against the NRC, he hasn't cleared whether the CAA will be implemented in Maharashtra. The central government has maintained all states are constitutionally bound to implement the act.

Earlier, Thackeray assured a Muslim delegation that he will not allow detention centres to be set up in Maharashtra for NRC. It must be noted that the NRC is only implemented in Assam as of now. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has asserted that a countrywide NRC exercise would be carried out. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, told an election rally in Delhi on December 22 that there had been no discussion in the government on the NRC.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 02, 2020 05:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).