A population explosion occurred in Maharashtra over the last three years, apart from the natural births registered, with over 60,000 citizens mostly Rohingyas and Bangladeshi nationals belonging to the Muslim community, issued birth certificates by the Maharashtra government as Indian citizens. The scam came to light Tuesday (Jan 21) when deputy collector of Akola, Vijay Patil, provided data confirming 15,845 people (mostly in the 30 to 70 years age group) were issued birth certificates in Akola district alone. Another 10,273 applicants on the verge of physical delivery of the certificates were put on hold. “Ninety nine percent of 1,50, 000 applicants, over 60,000 issued birth certificates already, illegal Muslim Bangladeshi/Rohingya immigrants into India. In majority of cases only photographs were provided as supporting documents,” BJP leader Kirit Somaiyya has said. In Akola city 4849 (3953), 1899 (896) in Akot, 468 (1164) in Balapur, 1070 (787) in Murtijapur, 1262 (938) in Telhara, 3978 (1576) in Patur and 1319 (959) in Barshitakli already secured government endorsed birth certificates while similar number (in brackets) were pending physical delivery when the scam came to light. Senior BJP leader Mahendra Jain says, “This is organized crime with 99% applicants found to be foreign nationals. Government officials found complicit in crime must be booked under the provisions of terrorism laws applicable in India.” Suspensions of concerned officials complicit in issuance of certificates to even fictitious entities as Indian citizens and its terror implications is still being assessed. Ironically, the Special Investigation Team ( SIT) formed to tackle the illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in Maharashtra years ago has not met a single time since its inception or. at least rarely.
