Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced that the state government will cancel Scheduled Caste (SC) certificates held by individuals who do not belong to Hinduism, Buddhism, or Sikhism. This announcement was made in response to concerns about fraudulent acquisition of SC certificates and misuse of reservation benefits.

Fadnavis stated that this action is based on a Supreme Court verdict from November 26, 2024, which clarified that SC reservation benefits are exclusively for those belonging to Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. Consequently, individuals from other religions who have obtained SC certificates and availed reservation benefits will face cancellation of their certificates.

The Chief Minister clarified the repercussions for those found to have fraudulently obtained SC certificates. Individuals who have secured government jobs using these certificates will face action. Furthermore, if someone has won an election using a fraudulently obtained SC certificate, their election will be declared null and void. Fadnavis also mentioned that the government intends to recover any monetary benefits obtained through the fraudulent use of these certificates.

The issue was raised in the legislative council by BJP members Amit Gorkhe, Chitra Wagh, Praveen Darekar, Uma Khapre, and Shrikant Bhartiya, who claimed that "crypto Christians" were misusing religious freedom and taking advantage of SC reservations. "Crypto Christians" refers to individuals who secretly practice Christianity while officially belonging to another religion. Fadnavis acknowledged these concerns, emphasizing that religious conversions achieved through coercion or deceit are not permitted and will be addressed with investigations and actions against involved organizations.

The state government is also planning to introduce stricter legal measures to prevent coercive religious conversions. Fadnavis stated that the government has no intention of banning consensual religious conversions. The state government has already formed a panel, led by the Director General of Police, to recommend measures for dealing with cases of forced conversion.

BJP leader Chitra Wagh highlighted specific cases where women were deceived into marriages by men concealing their religious identity. She cited an incident in Sangli where a woman was allegedly forced into Christianity, suffered abuse, and died while pregnant. Fadnavis reiterated that religious conversion should only occur with consent and without coercion or enticement.

By implementing these measures, the Maharashtra government aims to ensure the integrity of the reservation system and protect individuals from forced religious conversions.