The Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday met several Muslim organisations, including Raza Academy, known for allegedly presiding over the Azad Maidan riots in 2011, at the office of Commissioner of Police to allay the fears among the Muslim community over the citizenship amendment act and the NRC.

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray today met Raza Academy & other Muslim organizations at the office of Commissioner of Police, on #CitizenshipAmendmentAct pic.twitter.com/RU3F2qs9Aw — ANI (@ANI) January 22, 2020

Thackeray met the delegation of Muslim organisations in South Mumbai where the Raza Academy submitted a memorandum to the CM demanding a resolution in opposition to the CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). However, Thackeray remained agnostic in providing an assurance to the delegation regarding a resolution against the CAA like that passed by Kerala and Punjab state assembly.

One of the attendees, Sayed Moinuddin Ashraf, who is president of Jamia Qadriya Ashrafia, was upbeat about the delegation’s meeting with the Maha Vikas Aghadi chief minister. He said that Thackeray told the delegation that Mumbai belongs to every citizen and every citizen has equal rights over the city. “Mumbai is home to everybody and people living here since generations cannot be removed,” Thackeray said as quoted by Ashraf.

Today a huge delegation of Ulma e Ahle Sunnat led by Hazrat Sayyed Moinuddin Ashraf (Moin Miyan) and Alhaaj Saeed Noorie Sahab (founder Raza Academy)and Muslim Scholars met Uddhav Thackeray the CM of Maharashtra requested them to pass a resolution in the Assembly against CAA,NRC pic.twitter.com/aAaXTZ6IqM — Raza Academy (@razaacademyho) January 22, 2020

Raza Academy General Secretary M Saeed Noori stated that Thackeray emphasised the need to maintain law and order in the city while appealing to maintain peace and tranquillity in the financial capital of the country.

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It is pertinent to note that Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena chief met the leaders of notorious Raza Academy, which had organised a so-called protest in Azad Maidan in August 2011 that had turned into violent riots. The rioters from Raza Academy had vandalised the much-hallowed Amar Jawan memorial situated outside the CST. The riots had caused approximately Rs 2.72 crores worth of damages to various public properties.

The protest was carried out to incite communal violence in Mumbai and the IB report to Maharashtra government hinted at Pakistani involvement in the riots. Bangladeshi passports were retrieved from the areas where riots took place. About 65 people and 40 security personnel were injured in the riots.