Saturday, March 29, 2025
In a significant announcement, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis declared on Thursday that Scheduled Caste (SC) certificates held by individuals not belonging to Hinduism, Buddhism, or Sikhism will be cancelled. Addressing the Legislative Council, Fadnavis said that if any person from other religions has availed benefits under SC reservations—such as jobs or election victories—the government will take legal action.
He further emphasized that individuals who used SC certificates to win elections will have their election victories invalidated.
Fadnavis added that the state government is preparing to introduce stringent regulations to curb forced or fraudulent religious conversions. He confirmed that a committee headed by the Director General of Police (DGP) had already submitted its report on the matter, and the government will soon implement appropriate legal measures based on its recommendations.
“Anyone can practice any religion or convert willingly, but if coercion, deceit, or inducement is involved, the law does not permit it,” Fadnavis said.
The Deputy CM stated that the state government intends to take action under the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in such cases. A panel has also been formed to suggest stronger preventive steps against religious conversions carried out by force or fraud.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Home Pankaj Bhoir recently announced that a new anti-conversion bill will be introduced during the upcoming winter session of the Maharashtra Assembly. He claimed that the proposed legislation would be stricter than similar laws enacted in other states.
BJP leader Amit Gorakhe alleged that certain individuals, particularly “Christians hiding their identity,” were misusing the right to religious freedom. He claimed these individuals were availing of SC category benefits while secretly practicing another religion.
“These people show themselves as Scheduled Castes to claim reservation benefits in government jobs and elections, but in reality, they follow a different religion secretly,” Gorakhe said.
Independent MLC and BJP ally Chitra Wagh added that multiple such cases had surfaced, including incidents where women were allegedly deceived into marriage by men who hid their religious identity. She cited a case from Sangli where a woman married into a Christian family that concealed their faith. The woman was reportedly tortured and pressured to convert, ultimately leading her to die by suicide while seven months pregnant.
The Maharashtra government is now poised to bring in stronger regulations to prevent such instances, with legal and policy changes expected to be finalized soon.
