India, Nov. 28 -- The state revenue department has launched a major crackdown on fraudulent birth and death certificates allegedly being issued by civic bodies across the state.

Revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Thursday directed officials to immediately cancel all suspicious certificates issued solely on the basis of an Aadhaar card and to file police complaints without delay. Bawankule said, "Forged birth and death certificates are being misused to grab government benefits, encroach on land and even threaten national security. We will not tolerate such rackets. Strict action will be taken against those involved."

The action follows a growing campaign by some Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members targeting Bangladeshi nationa...