Mayor promises action against ‘illegal Bangladeshis’, Aaditya Thackeray asks her to focus on civic issues

With the BJP assuming control of Mumbai’s civic body, Mayor Ritu Tawde on Friday said strict action would be taken against “illegal Bangladeshis” who allegedly procured bogus birth certificates, as well as against agents and civic officials involved in the irregularities.

Addressing reporters after a high-level civic meeting, Tawde said 237 fake birth certificates issued by officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had been cancelled. She added that while the original documents were still with the beneficiaries, officials had assured her that they would be recovered within a month, and she had directed them to complete the process within 15 days.

Warning of strict action, the Mayor said a resolution would be moved if officials failed to carry out their duties. “So far, eight FIRs have been registered in connection with the illegal issuance of birth certificates, and two medical officers from the health department have been suspended. The probe will continue,” she said.

Tawde alleged large-scale corruption within the civic machinery, claiming that birth certificates were issued in the names of non-existent persons and that even hospitals mentioned in records were found to be fake. She said all birth certificates issued after January 1, 2026, had been ordered to be verified and scrutinised.

As per information shared by Somaiya, Tawde said at least 1,000 persons in Mumbai may be holding such illegal birth certificates. She added that the BMC would verify the birth certificates and Aadhaar cards of street vendors and hawkers across the city, asserting that there would be no leniency against those using bogus documents.

Somaiya, for his part, claimed that nearly 10,000 people in Mumbai did not possess authentic birth certificates and alleged that a “mafia raj” had been operating through forged documentation involving doctors and officials.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray criticised the Mayor, accusing her of focusing on illegal Bangladeshis instead of Mumbai’s civic problems. He said dealing with illegal immigration was the responsibility of the Union Home Ministry and the state government, not the municipal corporation.