Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis claimed that certain ‘Crypto-Christians’ are exploiting their official Hindu and reserved caste status to secure educational, employment and electoral benefits in the state. He said that strict legal action will be taken against them for doing so, the Times of India reported.
Speaking at the state assembly on Thursday, responding to a calling attention motion by MLC Amit Gorkhe, Fadnavis said that the issue is serious.
Gorkhe alleged that ‘Crypto-Christians’ mainly belong to Scheduled Castes/Tribes, Nomadic and Denotified Tribes. They secretly adopt the Christian faith and observe its customs and traditions in secret, he claimed, adding that their true religion will be revealed only when they perform funerals.
According to Gorkhe, the said practice is rampant in districts like Nandurbar, Sangli and Ahmednagar, and due to such deceitful practices, truly deserving and marginalised groups in the state are deprived of reservation benefits and government facilities.
CM Fadnavis said that the state government will revoke Scheduled Caste (SC) certificates of individuals who have converted to religions other than Hinduism, Buddhism, or Sikhism.
The decision follows a Supreme Court ruling delivered on November 26, 2024, which stated that SC reservation benefits are only available to individuals from these three faiths.
“If anyone from religions other than Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism has availed an SC certificate or reservation, their validity certificates and caste certificates will be cancelled with due procedure. If anyone has availed benefits like government jobs, action will be taken against them,” the chief minister said.
He added that if an individual has won an election using such a certificate, their election will be declared null and void. "Recovery (of monetary benefits) will be recommended from those who have availed benefits using fraudulently obtained caste certificates," Fadnavis said.