BJP alleges fake caste certificate racket in Delhi; AAP says LG has power to probe

New Delhi: The BJP on Wednesday accused the AAP government in Delhi of depriving the SC community of reservation benefits by issuing "fake" caste certificates.

Demanding a CBI inquiry into the matter, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said at a press conference, "Under Delhi government, fake caste certificates are being used to deprive reservation benefits to the members of the SC community." Pointing fingers at the role of AAP MLAs in the matter, Sachdeva claimed a probe by Delhi BJP has revealed that out of the eight "fake" caste certificate holders who have been identified, most got admissions to educational institutes and secured government jobs.

Claiming that the eight "fake" caste certificates were just the tip of the iceberg, Sachdeva said, "Imagine the scale of this loot across all the 70 Assembly constituencies in the capital." "For a long time, reports were coming in about the easy availability of fake caste certificates and Aadhaar cards in Delhi, particularly from west Delhi. An internal team of lawyers was set up to investigate these reports," Sachdeva said.

Countering BJP's claims, AAP said in a statement that caste certificates are issued by SDM offices which come under the purview of the revenue department.

The lieutenant governor (LG) decides the postings of SDMs, ADMs and DMs, and there is no consultation at all with the elected government, AAP claimed.

"Therefore, if any corruption is happening, only the LG has the power to investigate," it said.