BJP accuses Bengal Govt. of creating ‘fake citizens’ in border districts

The West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday (October 25, 2025) accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government of issuing “fake citizenship” documents in the State’s border districts by issuing delayed birth certificates. 

The party claimed that these certificates are being used to create “fake voters” ahead of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. BJP State President Samik Bhattacharya shared on social media an official document detailing delayed birth registrations in Uttar Dinajpur, a district bordering Bangladesh. 

According to the document, signed by the Chief Medical Officer of Health on October 14, 2025, the total number of delayed birth registrations stood at 12,393 in 2024 and 4,770 between January and August 2025. 

Mr. Bhattacharya alleged that the unusually high number of delayed registrations suggested “fabrication of citizenship” before the SIR and the 2026 Assembly election. He reiterated the BJP’s demand for swift implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) to “protect Bengal’s security”. 

Experts say birth certificates will play a crucial role in proving a person’s eligibility to remain on the rolls during the revision. 

The BJP has also been ramping up efforts to mobilise potential CAA beneficiaries, particularly among the Matua community in border districts like Nadia and North 24 Parganas. Earlier this month, the party announced plans to set up more than 700 CAA assistance camps across the State to help “non-Muslim refugees” apply for Indian citizenship. 

Similar allegations have been raised by BJP MLA Sankar Ghosh, who wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier this month, claiming that Kharibari Rural Hospital in Darjeeling had issued fake and backdated birth and death certificates between August and October. “These certificates could help infiltrators remain on the voter list as Indian citizens, which is completely illegal,” he wrote. 

Responding to the charges, a Trinamool Congress spokesperson dismissed the allegations as politically motivated. “The TMC relies on genuine voters. It was Mamata Banerjee who first objected when names from other States appeared in Bengal’s voter lists. We will not allow fake voters under any circumstances,” the spokesperson said.