Mumbai: Sensing the threat to the newly formed government under his leadership on the issue of National Population Register, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray took an abrupt U-turn on Sunday and mellowed down his stand.
Buckling under pressure from the Congress and the Nationalist Congress party, Thackeray has formed a committee of senior ministers to take a call on the issue.
After meeting PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah at New Delhi, Thackeray had come out in support of NPR and CAA (the Citizenship Amendment Act). In his Konkan tour, too, he had asserted that there is nothing objectionable in the NPR, as it is a part of the census.
The unequivocal stand turned the spotlight on the fissures in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government and highlighted its vulnerability. Thackeray’s statements also ignited speculation that Sena may desert the MVA and join the BJP.
In the fluid situation, the NCP was seen trying to find a middle path by suggesting that they should frame the questionnaire as per the Common Minimum Programme of the MVA government.
But the Congress adopted a tough posture on both the NPR and CAA and Mallikarjun Kharge stated that there will be no compromise. The strident stand had put a question mark on the fate of the MVA government in the state.
"On the face of it, there seem to be no problems in the NPR. Nonetheless, we will form a committee of senior ministers representing the three allies to discuss the possible complications in its implementation and the way forward", CM Thackeray said, answering a question on this issue.
"The people will decide how they wish to live," was his terse and cryptic response when attention was drawn to the claim made by Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis that the NPR questionnaire will be finalised by the Union government.
When asked about the National Investigation Agency (NIA) taking over the investigation into the 2017 Elgar Parishad case, the CM said he didn't hand it over to the Central agency.
"The Centre took over the probe; but we have conveyed our displeasure to the Union government on this issue, as it is doubting the State police’s capability to investigate into this matter," he said.
