Amid strain between his party and alliance partners, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

During a press briefing after meeting PM Modi, Uddhav Thackeray reiterated his stand on CAA and said, “We have discussed on Citizenship Amendment Act, National Register of Citizens and National Population Register. I have already cleared my stance on these issues. No one should be scared of CAA.”

“This law is not to take away citizenship from anyone. However, this law is about giving citizenship to the minorities of the neighboring countries,” he added.

As per the reports, Thackeray is also expected to meet Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Home Minister Amit Shah and senior BJP leader LK Advani.

Uddhav Thackeray was accompanied by Environment Minister in the Maharashtra government and his son Aaditya Thackeray to meet the Prime Minister.

Taking it to Twitter, junior Thackeray said, “I had the opportunity to discuss environmental issues including electric mobility, renewable energy, solarising highways, the ban on single-use disposable plastics with the Hon’ble PM. I briefed him about about the urban forests we are creating in Maharashtra.”

“The issues of GST compensation to States, including Maharashtra, PM Fasal Bima Yojna, Central Road Fund, Baliraja Sanjivani Yojana pending proposals and the PMC bank were discussed with the Hon’ble Prime Minister,” he added.

This evening CM Uddhav Thackeray ji and I called on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, discussing with him various issues of Maharashtra and our federal relation of Centre State. (1/n) pic.twitter.com/PSNv14PLIy

— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) February 21, 2020

Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut had informed earlier confirmed about his party chief’s meet with the Prime Minister on Twitter. “Yes, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will meet PM Modi. This is only a meeting, nothing else should be read into it. Jai Maharashtra,” he tweeted in Marathi.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi government which was formed with an alliance of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress after around a month of political drama in the state has seen rifts in the last three months.

Over the issue of contentious Citizenship Amendment Act and National Population Register, Shiv Sena has been cornered by its two allies as Congress and NCP had been regularly opposing the Act while the Sena last week extended its support to the two exercises.

“The CAA and the NRC (National Register of Citizens) are different and NPR is different. No one has to worry if the CAA gets implemented,” NDTV was quoted Uddhav Thackeray as saying.

“The NRC is not there and will not be implemented in the state. The centre has not discussed NRC as of now,” he added.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar ensured that he will discuss the matter with Shiv Sena chief and will bring it on the same page.

Another issue on which the Shiv Sena was left out by its partners in the state was the transfer of Bhima Koregaon case to National Investigation Agency. The NCP chief Sharad Pawar had termed the decision as “unconstitutional” as he said that it violates the state’s jurisdiction over law and order issues.

“The behaviour of some in the Maharashtra Police (involved in Bhima-Koregaon investigation) was objectionable. I wanted the role of these officers to be investigated. But ministers in the Maharashtra government met police officers one morning, and the centre ordered its transfer to the NIA at 3 pm the same day,” Pawar had said.

However, after Pawar’s remarks, Thackeray tweeted that he will ensure a related probe into the Bhima-Koregaon is not taken over by the centre.