Actor R. Parthiban has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition in the Madras High Court, seeking a direction to the Tamil Nadu government to pass a legislation or issue a Government Order (G.O.)/circular instructing Revenue Department officials to issue ‘no caste, no religion’ certificates to those who voluntarily relinquish religious and caste identities.
The petitioner’s plea has been listed for hearing before the first Division Bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan. According to the petitioner, Revenue Department officials are hesitant to issue such certificates due to a lack of clear-cut instructions from the government.
Parthiban’s move comes after he himself faced difficulties in obtaining a ‘no caste, no religion’ certificate. In March 2026, he had expressed regret for introducing himself as a ‘Naidu boy’ during the promotions of a Telugu movie. He then filed an application before the Sholinganallur Tahsildar seeking a ‘no caste, no religion’ certificate, claiming that he had renounced his religious and caste identities.
The actor’s initial application was met with a lack of response from Revenue Department officials, prompting him to file a writ petition before the High Court. Justice M. Dhandapani directed the Tahsildar to issue the certificate to the petitioner on or before April 29, 2026. The certificate was eventually issued, but Parthiban is now seeking to make the process easier for others who wish to relinquish their religious and caste identities.
Parthiban emphasized the need for the government to pass a legislation or issue a G.O./circular instructing Revenue Department officials to issue such certificates within a reasonable time. This, he believes, would facilitate the process for those who voluntarily relinquish their religious and caste identities for all purposes, including education and employment.
