Maharashtra: Malegaon Mayor, Deputy Mayor Protest Over Fake Birth Certificate Row as Kirit Somaiya Submits List of 3,273 Alleged Infiltrators

Tensions escalated in Malegaon, Maharashtra, after protests erupted over allegations of fake birth certificates and suspected Bangladeshi nationals being issued official documents. Workers of the Inqulabi Socialist Labour and Minorities party, accompanied by the city’s Mayor, Deputy Mayor and several women corporators, staged a sit-in at the Municipal Corporation entrance. The protest added fresh political intensity to an already contentious issue, drawing attention to similar allegations raised earlier in other Maharashtra cities regarding irregularities in civic documentation processes.

Malegaon, Maharashtra: A protest broke out in the city over allegations related to fake birth certificates and Bangladeshi nationals. The Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and several women corporators staged a sit-in demonstration at the Municipal Corporation entrance, holding the national… pic.twitter.com/7gBlQknfre

— IANS (@ians_india) February 24, 2026

BJP Leader Kirit Somaiya raised allegations of a large-scale fake birth certificate scam in Malegaon, Nashik, in February 2025.  Somaiya alleged that a large-scale racket in Malegaon was responsible for issuing thousands of forged birth certificates, reportedly to Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants. He claimed that nearly 3,273 birth certificates were fraudulently obtained and called for a high-level investigation into the matter. Following the allegations, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted to examine the case. The probe has resulted in several FIRs being registered, arrests of multiple individuals, including lawyers and government officials, suspension of concerned personnel, and the annulment of more than 3,200 birth certificates found to be suspicious.

Taking to X, Kirit Somaiya posted, "#SIR in Maharashtra Today at MALEGAON I will submit List & Evidences of 3,273 ilegals, Infiltrators, Bangladeshis... to Collector, Police, Municipal Corporation Birth Certificates of these 3273 are CANCELLED But their names are still in Voters Lists These Names should be DELETED from Voters List during SIR of Election Commission Kirit Somaiya Chairman Maharshtra BJP SIR Commitee."

#SIR in Maharashtra

Today at MALEGAON I will submit List & Evidences of 3,273 ilegals, Infiltrators, Bangladeshis...
to Collector, Police, Municipal Corporation

Birth Certificates of these 3273 are CANCELLED

But their names are still in Voters Lists

These Names should be… pic.twitter.com/imV2KC0w0U

— Kirit Somaiya (@KiritSomaiya) February 24, 2026

Also Read: Maharashtra Road Accident: One Dead, Several Injured After Truck Rams into Bus on Pune-Bengaluru Highway

Now, a fresh political row has erupted after the Malegaon Municipal Corporation passed a resolution seeking to reinstate cancelled and disputed birth certificates. The BJP has termed the move entirely unlawful and cautioned that if the Municipal Commissioner enforces the decision under political influence, criminal proceedings will be initiated against him and the officials concerned. BJP Law Cell City President Adv. Yogesh Nikam and Yuva Morcha General Secretary Harshal Pawar have submitted a formal memorandum to Commissioner Ravindra Jadhav raising strong objections to the resolution.

During the General Body meeting, a proposal was cleared to send the signatures of the Deputy Tehsildar on 1,044 birth registration orders for forensic handwriting verification to determine their authenticity. It was also noted that the Deputy Tehsildar lacks the authority to issue such orders, leading to the cancellation of 3,460 birth certificates. The applicants, however, were not involved in the procedural lapses and bear no responsibility. Consequently, the General Body resolved that the administration should begin the process of reissuing certificates to eligible applicants. The BJP has vehemently opposed this move, alleging it compromises national security.

BJP representatives have also pointed to a Maharashtra Government decision dated November 27, 2025, which clarifies that an Aadhaar card is not a valid proof of birth. The state government has directed authorities to annul certificates obtained solely on the basis of Aadhaar or fraudulent documents. In this context, the BJP argued that the Municipal Corporation has no legal mandate to restore the cancelled certificates. The party described the resolution as beyond the Corporation’s jurisdiction and asserted that it is the Commissioner’s responsibility to nullify it. Restoring the certificates, they warned, would amount to complicity in an anti-national act.