SIR: Suvendu accuses KMC of illegally issuing birth certificates
The Statesman | 7 November 2025
Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday levelled serious allegations against the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), accusing it of “illegally and unethically” distributing birth certificates to suspicious individuals in a bid to influence the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls.
According to Adhikari, the civic body has been “illegally issuing birth certificates in bulk” to people whose names are under scrutiny and may be removed from the voter list during the SIR process. “The KMC is attempting to manipulate the voter rolls by facilitating individuals, whose citizenship status is questionable,” he alleged. Taking to social media, the BJP leader wrote: “A shameless attempt is being made to distort the democratic process. Birth certificates are legal documents meant for newborns or, in rare cases, for genuine late registrations. Unfortunately, these certificates have now become instruments of political engineering.”
Adhikari further claimed that the move was part of a larger conspiracy to “aid infiltrators” and “tamper with the demographic balance” in the state for political gains. To ensure transparency, the Leader of Opposition said he had taken two formal steps. Firstly, he has filed a Right to Information (RTI) application with the KMC health department, seeking details of all birth certificates issued in the last 30 days. Secondly, he has written to the KMC commissioner requesting comparative data for the period between 6 October and 5 November 2025, as well as for the same period in 2024.
In his letter, Adhikari sought information under four specific categories – total number of birth certificates issued, certificates issued to non-residents outside KMC jurisdiction, certificates issued as “late registrations” for individuals born before 2007; and certificates issued for newborns. He also warned that any violation of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, would invite strict legal action.
“Any attempt to bypass legal norms will not be tolerated,” he asserted. Adhikari has urged the Election Commission of India and other concerned authorities to initiate an immediate probe into what he described as a “malpractice aimed at helping illegal infiltrators.” Just two days ago, Adhikari had lodged a similar complaint with the State Chief Electoral Officer’s office, alleging that political consultants linked to I-PAC were fabricating fake birth certificates to portray deceased voters as alive and disrupt the SIR process. He tagged his post to @ECISVEEP, @CEOWestBengal, and @HMOIndia on X (formerly Twitter), demanding urgent intervention.