Maharashtra to Act Against ‘Crypto-Christians’ Misusing Caste Benefits

MUMBAI, July 19, 2025: The Maharashtra government will initiate legal proceedings and enforce measures against certain ‘Crypto-Christians’ who are reportedly misusing their official Hindu and reserved caste classification to obtain advantages in education, employment, and elections, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis informed the legislative council on Thursday.

In response to a calling attention motion raised by MLC Amit Gorkhe, Fadnavis stated that the matter was serious and required strict action. Gorkhe claimed that numerous ‘Crypto-Christians’ mainly belong to Scheduled Castes/Tribes, Nomadic and Denotified Tribes. “They covertly embrace the Christian faith, following its customs and traditions in secrecy. Their actual religion often becomes known only at funerals,” Gorkhe declared in the Upper House.

“This practice is notably widespread in districts such as Nandurbar, Sangli and Ahmednagar. Because of this deceit, genuinely deserving and marginalised communities in Maharashtra are being denied access to reservation benefits and government facilities,” he added.

Fadnavis referred to a Supreme Court judgement which affirms that SC reservations are applicable solely to Hindus and religions closely associated with Hinduism, such as Sikhism and Buddhism, but not to other religions.

Courtesy: Times of India

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