Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya on Saturday said the Maharashtra government under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had cancelled 224,000 allegedly fake birth certificates issued to Bangladeshi nationals and announced plans for a “special campaign” to identify and deport undocumented migrants following local body elections.
Speaking to Indian media, Somaiya said: “Maharashtra is the first state where Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has cancelled 224,000 fake birth certificates of Bangladeshi citizens.” He added that a statewide drive would begin after January 16 to identify Bangladeshi nationals living “illegally” in Maharashtra.