Maharashtra Will Cancel SC Certificates Of Non-Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh Beneficiaries: CM Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that Scheduled Caste (SC) certificates issued to individuals from religions other than Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism will be cancelled if found to have been obtained fraudulently.

The state will also take action against those who have availed reservation benefits — including government jobs and electoral positions — using such certificates.

Responding to a 'calling attention' motion in the legislative council, Fadnavis said, "If anyone from religions other than Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism has availed an SC certificate or reservation benefits, their validity and caste certificates will be cancelled with due process." He added that the government will also initiate recovery of monetary benefits obtained through fraudulent means.

The statement follows a Supreme Court verdict from November 26, 2024, which clarified that SC reservation benefits are constitutionally available only to followers of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism — not to those from other religions.

Fadnavis further announced the state’s intention to introduce stringent legal provisions to curb religious conversions carried out through force, cheating, or inducement. “A person can follow any religion and convert others with their consent, but the law does not permit the use of force or deception,” he said. Complaints of coercion or inducement for conversion will be investigated, and action will be taken against the organisations involved.

The state government had constituted a committee headed by the Director General of Police (DGP) to study cases of forced conversions and suggest appropriate legal measures. The panel has submitted its recommendations, and the government is currently reviewing them. "We will soon bring in new provisions to ensure conversions do not occur through coercion or fraud,” Fadnavis added, noting that action can already be taken under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), but stronger legal safeguards are under consideration.

Earlier this week, Minister of State for Home Pankaj Bhoyar announced that the government intends to introduce an anti-conversion law in the upcoming winter session of the legislature. He said the proposed law will be more stringent than similar laws enacted in other states.

During the discussion, BJP MLA Amit Gorkhe raised concerns about misuse of reservation by “crypto Christians” — a term referring to individuals who allegedly practice Christianity while officially identifying with Scheduled Caste communities to claim reservation benefits. “They appear to belong to SC communities but secretly follow other religions and exploit the reservation system,” Gorkhe claimed.

BJP leader Chitra Wagh also highlighted instances of women being misled into interfaith marriages where the husband's religion was allegedly concealed. She cited a tragic case in Sangli where a woman was forced to convert and later died under suspicious circumstances during pregnancy.

Fadnavis acknowledged that such issues, particularly covert religious campaigns, were reported in slum areas. However, he clarified that the government has no intention of banning voluntary religious conversions. "Consensual conversion is not our concern. But we will act decisively where there is coercion, fraud, or inducement," he said.