Controversy Over Migrants' Aadhaar Details Spurs Demands for Verification in Himachal Pradesh

A traders' union has filed a police complaint highlighting discrepancies in the Aadhaar cards of migrants working in Gumma Bazaar, Himachal Pradesh. Many have January 1 as their date of birth, raising concerns over proper identification. The issue coincides with growing demands for documentation and verification of outsiders following localized communal disputes.

A traders' union has lodged a police complaint, citing discrepancies in the Aadhaar cards of migrants working in Gumma Bazaar, Himachal Pradesh, with many dates of birth registered as January 1.

The development highlights the current demand for proper identification of outsiders in the state, amidst controversies regarding unauthorised mosques and related disputes.

No FIR has been registered yet, but police indicated that many migrant workers are illiterate and lack proper birth or Class 10 certificates, resulting in January 1 being commonly used as their birth date in government documents.

Dev Chauhan, president of the Gumma Beopar Mandal, alleged that 46 out of 86 migrants have January 1 birthdates on their Aadhaar cards, raising suspicion. He suggested older migrants might not recall their birth dates, but even younger migrants from 2000-2009 share the same date, prompting demands for verification.

Shimla SP Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi acknowledged periodic checks on the criminal backgrounds and rent agreements of migrant workers and called for a tighter mechanism that mandates employers and landlords to verify migrant identities.

Protests demanding the demolition of unauthorised mosques in the region have intensified. Communal tensions spiked after a scuffle in Malyana area, which escalated into a call for identifying and verifying all outsiders.

(With inputs from agencies.)