Uddhav Thackeray, Sonia Gandhi on same page over CAA, says Sanjay Raut

With Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray throwing his weight behind the Citizenship Amendment Act CAA and the National Population Register NPR but not the National Register of Citizens NRC the MVA is facing awkward moments testing the thickest of political skinsChief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has gone on record stating that nobody should be afraid of the CAANPR and they will certainly not result in anyones citizenship being taken awayYet with the Congress stridently opposing CAA the question being thrown at the ally in the Shiv Senaled alliance is whether they will exit the coalition on this big difference The Congresss Maharashtra high command refused to answer that question directly simply saying We are in discussions with the coalition partners and the chief minister The Congresss disapproval of the combined CAANPRNRC is a national stand and there is no ambiguity nor any dilution as far as Congress workers are concernedNo problemIf the state unit sticks to its guns Shiv Senas Sanjay Rauts statement about the Congress at the Centre seems to skewer the equation even further and compound confusion Sena leader Raut said The Maharashtra Congresss high command is entitled to an opinion CM Uddhav Thackerayji recently had a meeting with Sonia Gandhiji I was present and I know what is going on It was a detailed discussion on the CAA There is total understanding between Soniaji and Uddhavji there is no problem I state categorically that the Shiv Sena is extremely concerned about the security of the nationWhile Raut did not say in so many words that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi also endorsed CAA he did mention there was an understanding between the Maharashtra CM and herNawab Malik Nationalist Congress Party NCP neta refused to say that they are against the CAA He chose the safer option telling this reporter Do understand that the CAA is not under our purview The NRC is not going to be implemented in the state In the NPR the questionnaire will be finalised by all three parties and then we will see how to go about it This statement is a reiteration of Maliks earlier standDialogue is happeningWith the states coalition partners one claiming dissent and the other taking recourse in discussion do antiCAA protestors trust the MVA One of the organisers of the Mumbai Bagh protest against CAANPRNRC Firoze Mithiborwala maintained that the CAA is discriminatory and this is not a question of trust There are lots of initiatives going on there are groups meeting different political parties We have to build sufficient public pressure so that the government realises that CAA is discriminatory There is a committee formed and they are looking into it dialogue is happening so we have to wait and seeDolphy DSouza of the Bombay Catholic Sabha BCS whose organisation held an antiCAA meet in Bandra recently said When there is a coalition there will always be an element of dialogue which needs to be continued with patience and openness Having said that I do know however that in politics what is postured today may not be what happens tomorrowCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates