The newly appointed Mayor of Mumbai, Ritu Tawde, has ordered a high-level inquiry into the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) following allegations that nearly 270 fraudulent birth certificates were issued to illegal immigrants. Speaking at a press conference on Friday, February 13, the Mayor stated that the investigation as revealed a significant breach of national security and cited "systemic misgovernance" within the civic body over the last four years.
The investigation follows a meeting convened by the Mayor to address the presence of illegal Bangladeshi nationals in the economic capital of India, a move that signals a tightening of administrative oversight under the new leadership.
Tawde revealed that an internal review flagged 267 birth certificates allegedly issued to Bangladeshi nationals through fraudulent means. She claimed the scale of the irregularities as evidence of "deep-rooted corruption" within the BMC’s administrative departments.
"The matter is extremely serious," Tawde told reporters. "Issuing bogus birth certificates not only facilitates illegal residency but compromises the security of the country. This reflects a period of misgovernance that we are now determined to rectify."
The Mayor alleged that the certificates were likely obtained through a network of middlemen and complicit civic officials, promising that the administration would not shield anyone found to be involved in the racket.
The Mayor’s statements supporting former MP Kirit Somaiya, who has been raising issues regarding irregularities in the civic body's birth certificate processes. Tawde confirmed that the specific allegations brought forward by Somaiya would be examined in detail and appropriate follow-up action would be initiated.