Uddhav Thackeray accuses BJP of inciting riots through CAA implementation

Uddhav Thackeray/ File Photo

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray slammed the Central government's implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, claiming it was an electoral ploy by the ruling party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking at a public meeting in Pusad, Maharashtra's Yavatmal district, on Tuesday evening, Thackeray accused the BJP of attempting to sow religious strife and incite riots across the country, stated a report ANI.

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Per the ANI report, during his two-day Vidarbha visit in preparation for the general elections, Thackeray stated, "CAA is the BJP's election jumla. In December, the BJP brought the ghosts of CAA and NRC. At that time, fear was created in the minds of people, especially the people of Assam. Many petitions are in court against this law. The court's decision has not yet come, but still, they have issued the CAA notification. This is just an election jumla."

"They have to create discrimination between religions and create riots in the country," Thackeray said and added, "If the BJP government wants to bring Hindus from foreign countries to India, then first they must bring back Kashmiri Pandits."

The Union Home Ministry implemented the Citizenship Amendment Act's guidelines on March 11, just before the Lok Sabha election timetable was announced, the ANI report further added.

According to the news agency report, CAA, which was enacted by Parliament in 2019, aims to offer Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who came in India before December 31, 2014, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians.

Sena (UBT) leader Thackeray during his public address asked Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to leave the saffron party again if he is being "insulted" and said that the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi would ensure his win in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. However, Gadkari rebuffed the invitation and labelled Thackeray's invitation as "immature and ridiculous".

Thackeray, as per the PTI report, had claimed that the BJP has previously targeted (for suspected corruption) individuals such as (former Congress leader) Kripashankar Singh, who were now included on the saffron party's initial list of candidates with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but Gadkari's name was absent.