MUMBAI, 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 nationals allegedly living illegally in the state. Recently, two Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) staffers were suspended in connection with such irregularities. The revenue department has now issued a comprehensive 16-point verification guideline to all tehsildars, sub-divisional officers, district collectors and divisional commissioners. The circular, issued after a high-level meeting chaired by the additional chief secretaries of the home and revenue departments, clearly states that an Aadhaar card cannot be accepted as standalone proof of date or place of birth. The key directives mandate that all birth and death registration orders issued by junior or assistant officers in the revenue department after the August 11, 2023 amendment must be cancelled immediately. The new directives also say that any certificate issued solely on the basis of an Aadhaar card must be treated as defective and cancelled....