Mumbai, February 13 With the BJP now in power in Mumbai, strict action will be taken against "illegal Bangladeshis" who obtained false birth certificates, as well as agents and officials who facilitated this, Mayor Ritu Tawde said on Friday.
A total of 237 fake birth certificates issued by officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have been cancelled, although the original documents remain in the possession of the beneficiaries and have not yet been recovered, she told reporters.
Officials have informed her that the documents will be recovered within a month, Tawde said after a high-level civic meeting, adding that she has directed them to complete the confiscation process in 15 days.
If the officials fail to fulfill their duties, a resolution will be moved to initiate stringent action, the BJP leader warned.
"So far, eight FIRs have been registered in connection with the illegal issuance of birth certificates, and further investigation is underway. Two health department officials have already been suspended. The investigation will continue," she added.
The mayor claimed her BJP colleague and former Lok Sabha member Kirit Somaiya had been raising this issue for a long time, submitting documents and complaints regarding widespread irregularities in the issuance of birth certificates at the ward level, but no action was taken previously.
"Now, with the BJP in power in Mumbai, the administration will not ignore such serious matters," Tawde said, alleging widespread corruption within the civic machinery.
"Birth certificates were issued in the names of people who do not exist, and even hospitals mentioned in the records were fake. All records issued after January 1, 2026, have now been ordered to be verified and scrutinized. In one case, a doctor named Ashraf Kazi issued a birth certificate in 2015 for a home delivery despite not being present. Despite complaints, no action was taken against him," Tawde claimed.
Asserting that action was not taken in several cases, Tawde said the functioning of some civic officials was "callous".
According to information shared by Somaiya, at least 1,000 people in Mumbai may be holding such illegal birth certificates, Tawde said.
"The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation will verify the birth certificates and Aadhaar cards of street vendors and hawkers across the city. There will be no leniency. If they are using bogus documents, action will be taken. We want footpaths free for pedestrians and will continue our drive against illegal stalls and encroachments," she said.
Somaiya claimed nearly 10,000 people in Mumbai do not possess authentic birth certificates and alleged that a "mafia raj" had been operating through bogus documentation.
"Today's action is the first step to end the mafia raj in Mumbai. I had submitted a list of 100 doctors allegedly involved in issuing bogus birth certificates in areas such as Navpada, Mankhurd, Govandi, Deonar, Nagpada, Kalina, Kurla and Behrampada. The mayor has assured that the inquiry will be completed," he said.
Somaiya said in recent months he had covered four BMC areas, namely Kurla, Mankhurd East, Mankhurd West and Mulund, and had found 2,500 suspicious names in three of these areas, while two cases of illegal birth certificates were detected in Mulund.
"These individuals had no valid birth certificates or other proof to establish that they were born in the country. Whether they are Bangladeshi or Rohingya is a separate matter, but action must be taken," Somaiya said.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Friday targeted Tawde and said her entire existence now seems to be about Bangladeshis staying illegally in the city and not civic issues.
Dealing with Bangladeshis residing illegally in India is the job of the Union Home Ministry and the state department, Thackeray reminded Tawde.
He accused the Centre as well as the state of hiding its "failure" over large number of Bangladeshis infiltrating, adding it only proves that the BJP-led Union government is a big failure when it comes to national security.
"So the mayor's entire existence now seems to be about Bangladesh- not the civic issues in Mumbai like dug up roads, garbage that isn't picked up, inaccessible footpaths, builders encroaching on open spaces, polluted water and air," Thackeray said in a post on Facebook while asserting the BJP needs to answer important questions.
"If it is true, how did Bangladeshis illegally enter India? How did they cross over from the almost one end of India, all the way towards the south west, making their way through so many BJP run states? How did they stay for so long- the BJP is running the Union govt for over a decade," the Worli MLA questioned.
NCP (SP) national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said the BJP was paying more attention to Bangladeshis than the concerns of Mumbaikars.
"If the BJP was so concerned about the issue, it should have appointed Kirit Somaiya as the mayor of Mumbai and Tawde could then have focused on the 'real problems' facing the city," he said ridiculing the ruling party.
"Illegal immigration from Bangladesh remains a serious issue in Mumbai and across the country and should be addressed by the BJP-led Central government. The BJP has failed to resolve the issue despite being in power at the Centre," Crasto added.
Upon her election as Mumbai mayor, Tawde had said Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas had encroached on city's footpaths, and clearing these encroachments would be among her priorities.