Ahead of the upcoming local body elections, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government has decided to act against illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators and Rohingyas in the state, and has ordered the immediate cancelation of their fake birth certificates.
The development comes after the Maharashtra Police found that several illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators and Rohingyas, residing in different districts of the state, have obtained fake birth certificates using forged documents at local municipalities and gram panchayats.
The state government has also ordered the police to act against the racked involved in this.
Kirit Somaiya's allegations
In January this year, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya had claimed that more than 1.50 lakh illegal Bangladeshi immigrants had obtained Indian citizenship in Maharashtra in 2024 by using forged documents. Demanding a thorough investigation, Somaiya had claimed over 2 lakh Bangladeshi infiltrators had applied for fake documents in the state.
The BJP leader had blamed gram panchayats in Padgha, Khoni and Mahapoli for providing fake documents to the Bangladeshi infiltrators. He had said that strict action should be taken against such gram panchayats and their officials, and a sedition case must be registered against them.
"It has come to light that more than 1,000 Bangladeshi nationals have applied to get birth certificates in Bhiwandi alone. Hundreds of them have already been issued certificates by local tehsils and gram panchayats... I spent over an hour inspecting records of birth certificates, death certificates and related applications," Somaiya had said, as reported by news agency PTI.
Maharashtra local body elections
The polling for the local body elections for 246 municipal councils and 42 town councils will be held in Maharashtra on December 2 (Tuesday). The results will be declared on December 3 (Wednesday).
