Mumbai, July 17 : The Supreme Court has given a clear verdict on November 26, 2024, that only Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs can get the benefit of reservation for Scheduled Castes (SC), and other religions are not eligible. In line with this, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis informed the Legislative Council on Thursday that the certificates of Scheduled Castes obtained after conversion will be cancelled.

Responding to the issue raised by members Amit Gorkhe, Chitra Wagh, Praveen Darekar, Uma Khapre, and Shrikant Bhartiya, the Chief Minister said that giving Scheduled Caste certificates to those who convert to Christianity is not in accordance with the Constitution. The Supreme Court decision also states that if someone is not a Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist, they will not get Scheduled Caste status, he added.

He said that if people of other religions have obtained Scheduled Caste certificates in a wrong manner, then in such cases the certificates of the concerned persons will be cancelled, and if they have obtained benefits like jobs, elections through it, then the benefits obtained will also be recovered.

At the same time, he also clarified that the state government is ready to take strict action against those who convert people through fraud, pressure or bait. He also stated that the report of the committee headed by the state Director General of Police in this regard has been received, and legal provisions will be made based on that.

'No action will be taken against any religious institution solely on the basis of religion, but if a complaint is received, an investigation will be conducted and action will be taken if found guilty. Moreover, certificates obtained by people known as crypto Christians who have converted secretly and presented themselves as Hindus are also becoming a challenge. The authorities have been given the power to verify the authenticity of such cases and cancel their validity based on spot visits and complaints,' said the Chief Minister.

He also assured the House that while there is no ban on voluntary conversion, the state government will take strict action against fraudulent conversions.

/IANS