The BJP has alleged emergence of a “Name Change Scam” under the Hemant Soren-led government in Jharkhand, accusing the administration of allowing official records related to name changes to disappear, potentially to shield religious conversions and enable identity fraud. BJP state spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo said the disappearance of decades-old gazette notifications and registers pertaining to name changes points to gross administrative failure and a possible deliberate attempt to erase public records.
Shah Deo claimed that until recent years, name change requests in Jharkhand were handled manually, with official registers maintained to track each change. These documents, which serve as key legal identifiers for amendments in name, religion, caste, and age, have now allegedly vanished without explanation. He said the absence of these records not only raises questions about the state’s record-keeping but also gives rise to suspicions of a larger conspiracy to conceal mass conversions.
Alleging that forces involved in religious conversion are active in Jharkhand, Shah Deo linked the missing documents to an effort to obscure the scale of such activities. He argued that with official records missing, individuals could manipulate Aadhaar details and voter identity data, undermining the integrity of government databases and election rolls. He pointed to the Election Commission’s recent Special Intensive Revision (SIR) campaign in Bihar, noting that such missing data could affect Jharkhand’s electoral transparency if similar verification drives are undertaken.
The BJP also questioned the government’s silence, noting that no FIR has been registered in connection with the missing records. “Only a clarification has been sought from Rajkiya Press official Sanjeev Kumar, while standard procedure demands criminal proceedings when public documents go missing,” Shah Deo said. He alleged that the government is attempting to bury the matter instead of ensuring accountability.
In addition to the missing records, Shah Deo claimed financial irregularities have also plagued the process. Even after the procedure was digitised in recent years, records are reportedly not properly maintained, raising doubts over the integrity of the online system as well. He urged the state to immediately recommend a CBI probe into the matter, stating that an independent investigation is necessary to unearth the full scale of the alleged scam.
The BJP spokesperson warned that deeper layers of identity manipulation and administrative collusion may emerge once a proper investigation is launched. He said the state government’s reluctance to act further reinforces suspicions that the disappearance of documents is not a case of negligence but of deliberate concealment.