"The CM has categorically given this assurance to a delegation of Muslim leaders on Monday, and also in the legislature last week, and while interacting with a group of protestors in Nagpur," said Samajwadi Party state President Abu Asim Azmi.
Thackeray also cleared the air on a so-called detention centre for illegal migrants, which is allegedly being readied in Mumbai and said it was intended only for temporary lodging of foreign nationals involved in breaking Indian laws or those whose passports/visas have expired, before they can be sent back to their respective countries.
"The detention centre has a capacity of around 35. The CM made it clear that it is not meant for Muslims as is being sought to portray. Muslims in the state having nothing to worry about CAA-NRC and should not fall prey to any kind of falsehoods," Azmi told .
NCP national spokesperson Nawab Malik also appreciated Thackeray's unequivocal assurance to the Muslim community in the state which has seen huge protests, some violent, in the past nearly 10 days.
"The CM has said that there are no detention centres for Muslims, as apprehended in some quarters, nor will any such detention camps for Muslims be allowed to come up in future. The so-called centre coming up in Navi Mumbai is for entirely different purposes," he pointed out.
Senior Congress leader and ex-minister Naseem Khan said that the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government is functioning as per its common minimum programme.
"Accordingly, it has been unanimously decided that anything pertaining to the CAA-NRC which goes against the Muslim in the state, will not be allowed at any cost," Khan told .
Besides Thackeray, state Home Minister Eknath Shinde, Industry Minister Subhash Desai, state Director General of Police Subodh Jaiswal, Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Barve, Sena MLA from Aurangabad Abdul Sattar Nabi, city Congress MLA Amin Patel and other dignitaries were also present.
Incidentally, Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis also endorsed Thackeray's stance on the Navi Mumbai facility which his ex-government had planned to set up and said it is even wrong to term it as a "detention centre".
( With inputs from IANS )