Will form a committee to look into NPR issue, says Uddhav Thackeray

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said that he would form a committee to look into various aspects of the National Population Register (NPR).

Addressing a press conference, CM Thackeray said: "I will form a committee of leaders from Shiv Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to look into the provisions of NPR. We will first study it to make sure that no citizen is hurt by this."

Commenting upon the farm loan waiver progress, he said: "In December we had announced farm loan waiver up to Rs 2 lakh. My team is working very hard to implement the same. As everyone says these days that to prove their citizenship, people have to stand in the queue. But I want to tell you that I would not let my farmers stand in queue for loan waivers."

CM Thackeray said that the issue of giving a 5 per cent reservation to Muslims in educational institutions in the state has not been discussed with him yet.

He said: "The issue of Muslim reservation in educational institutions has not come officially in front of me yet. When this issue will come in front of me, we will see to it. We have not yet cleared our stand on it. Opposition must save their energy for the time when we will actually discuss it."

Last week, NCP leader Nawab Malik, who is the Minority Affairs Minister in the Maharashtra government, had announced that a law will be made to give reservation to Muslims in educational institutions in the state.

Thackeray also said that he will visit Ayodhya on March 7.

When asked whether he will take anyone from NCP and Congress to Ayodhya on March 7, Thackeray said: "There should be no politics over faith. I welcome whoever wants to accompany me to Ayodhya."

Commenting on the Delhi violence in which at least 47 people have been killed, the CM said: "People know who is doing this. I want to thank people of Maharashtra they are smart, and not indulging in violence. Anyway, our police are alert."

Thackeray refused to comment upon Prime Minister Modi's announcement that may give up his social media accounts, saying: "He is a big brother. I don't want to comment on it.