SC certificates of anyone other than Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs will be cancelled: Fadnavis

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said if a person belonging a religion other than Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism has obtained a Scheduled Caste certificate fraudulently, it will be cancelled.

Action will be taken against such a person if he or she has secured reservation benefits such as government jobs. If such a person has won an election using a fraudulently obtained SC certificate, their election will be declared null and void, Fadnavis said in the legislative council.

Replying to a `calling attention' motion, he also said the state government intends to bring in strong provisions to deal with cases of religious conversion through coercion and cheating.

Amit Gorkhe (BJP) had claimed that freedom of religion was being misused by "crypto Christians", and some people benefit from reservations under the SC category while professing other religions. `Crypto Christians' was an apparent reference to people who discreetly follow Christianity while belonging to a different religion on paper.

On the face of it, they belong to an SC community and get reservation benefits like government jobs, he had said.

Fadnavis said on November 26, 2024, the Supreme Court gave a verdict in which it made it clear that the Scheduled Castes category reservation can be availed only by Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs, and not by those belonging to other religions.

"If anyone from religions other than Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism has availed an SC certificate or reservation, their validity certificates and caste certificates will be cancelled with due procedure. If anyone has availed benefits like government jobs, action will be taken against them," he said.

"Recovery (of monetary benefits) will be recommended from those who have availed benefits using fraudulently obtained caste certificates," he said.

BJP leader Chitra Wagh said there have been cases where women were duped into marriage by hiding the husband's religion.

She cited a case in Sangli where a woman married into a family which secretly professed Christianity. The woman suffered torture and was forced to change her religion, leading to her death while she was seven months pregnant, Wagh said.

A person can follow any religion and convert another person with consent, but law does not permit the use of force, cheating or enticement for conversion, the chief minister said.

"Complaints of coercion or inducement for conversion will lead to investigation and action against the concerned organisation," Fadnavis added.

The state government had formed a panel headed by the Director General of Police (DGP) for giving recommendations to deal with such cases, and it has submitted its report, he said.

The government will study it and bring in new (legal) provisions so that conversions do not happen by force or cheating, he said.

"Action can be taken under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in such cases. But a panel was formed to suggest strict provisions. The state government has the intentions of bringing in strong provisions to deal with such cases, and we will take a decision on this soon," he said.

On Monday, Pankaj Bhoyar, Minister of State for Home, had said the state will bring an anti-conversion law in the winter session of the legislature, and it will be more stringent than similar legislations in other states.

Pravin Darekar (BJP) claimed a secret campaign to lure people into converting was being carried out in poor localities and slums.

Fadnavis acknowledged that such things take place in slums. He, however, said the government has no intention to ban religious conversions that take place consensually.