Mumbai, February 13 With the BJP now in control of Mumbai's civic body, strict action will be taken against "illegal Bangladeshis" who have obtained fraudulent birth certificates, as well as agents and officials who assisted them, Mayor Ritu Tawde said on Friday.
A total of 237 fake birth certificates issued by officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation 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 told her that these 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 just 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 that her BJP colleague and former Lok Sabha member Kirit Somaiya had been raising this issue for a long time, submitting documents and complaints regarding large-scale irregularities in the issuance of birth certificates at the ward level, but no action had been taken previously.
"Now, with the BJP in power in Mumbai, the administration will not ignore such serious matters," Tawde said while alleging widespread corruption within the civic machinery.
"Birth certificates were issued in the names of individuals 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 no action was taken in several cases, Tawde said the functioning of some civic officials was "callous".
According to information provided 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 campaign against illegal stalls and encroachments," she said.
Somaiya claimed that nearly 10,000 people in Mumbai do not possess authentic birth certificates and alleged that a "mafia-like situation" had been operating through fraudulent documentation.
"Today's action is the first step to end the mafia-like situation 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 focus seemed to be on Bangladeshis residing illegally in the city, rather than civic issues.
Dealing with Bangladeshis residing illegally in India is the responsibility 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 the large number of Bangladeshis infiltrating, adding that it only proves that the BJP-led Union government is a big failure when it comes to national security.
"So, the mayor's entire focus seems to be on Bangladeshis, not the civic issues in Mumbai like potholes, garbage collection problems, inaccessible footpaths, encroachment by builders, polluted water and air," Thackeray said in a Facebook post while asserting that the BJP needs to address important questions.
"If this is true, how did Bangladeshis illegally enter India? How did they cross over from almost one end of India to the southwest, making their way through so many BJP-run states? How did they stay for so long? The BJP has been in power 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 is so concerned about the issue, it should have appointed Kirit Somaiya as the mayor of Mumbai and then Tawde could 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.
When contacted, a police official said that tracking down illegal immigrants is an ongoing process, adding that more than 1,000 Bangladeshis were deported last year and 400 cases were registered.
