Kolkata, February 16 – Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, drew the attention of the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday to the alleged widespread issuance of fake birth certificates by the state administration in the Gazole Block of the minority-dominated Malda district, reportedly for use as supporting identity documents in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state.
In a statement issued on his social media handle, the Leader of the Opposition highlighted a reportedly forged birth certificate in which a specific rule of a state Act was cited, even though it did not exist in the year when the certificate was issued.
"This shocking revelation from the Gazole Block in Malda district exposes the extent of corruption under the Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal administration. Clearly false birth certificates are being issued. To make matters worse, the registration date is 1996, but it brazenly cites Rule 9 of the West Bengal Registration of Births and Deaths Rules, 2000, which did not exist until 2000," Adhikari said in the social media statement.
According to him, this was not merely a case of incompetence, but a deliberate fraud designed to fabricate identities and undermine democratic processes.
The Leader of the Opposition also alleged that such practices were not limited to Malda district, but were occurring in other districts of West Bengal as well, with the sole aim of derailing the SIR exercise by flooding the system with fake documents.
"The Mamata Banerjee government is playing with fire, compromising the integrity of electoral rolls and citizen verification for political gains. I urge the Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal, to immediately take cognizance, launch a thorough investigation, and crack down on these corrupt elements before they hijack the democratic process. The people deserve transparency, not treachery," he added.
An insider in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, said the matter highlighted by the Leader of the Opposition is being viewed seriously by the Commission.
