Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated on Friday that the rise in the Muslim population in India is due to infiltration from Pakistan and Bangladesh, not due to higher fertility rates. Speaking at an event in New Delhi, Shah emphasized that voting rights in India should be exclusive to citizens. He also asserted that Hindus from Pakistan and Bangladesh have a right to Indian soil.
Shah highlighted the importance of distinguishing between refugees and infiltrators. He explained that refugees come to India seeking religious protection, while infiltrators enter illegally for economic or other reasons. "Those who have not faced religious persecution and want to come illegally for economic or other reasons are infiltrators," Shah said. He added that India cannot become a "dharamshala" by allowing anyone from around the world to enter freely.
The Home Minister cited census data to support his claim, noting that the Hindu population decreased from 84% in 1951 to 79% in 2011, while the Muslim population increased from 9.8% to 14.2%. He attributed this disparity to infiltration, stating that the Muslim population grew by 24.6% between 1951-2011, while the Hindu population grew by 16.8%. He contrasted this with the sharp decline in the Hindu population in Pakistan (from 13% in 1951 to 1.73% today) and Bangladesh (from 22% to 7.9%).
Shah defended the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, emphasizing that it is a national issue and not a political one. He stated that including "infiltrators in the voters' list" pollutes the spirit of the Constitution. "It is EC's constitutional responsibility to clean the voters' list," he said. He also accused the opposition Congress party of being in "denial mode" regarding the SIR.
Addressing the rights of Hindus from Pakistan and Bangladesh, Shah stated that they have as much right to the soil of India as he does. He referenced the Nehru-Liaquat Pact, which promised refuge in India for Hindus in Pakistan after the partition. He criticized successive governments for failing to honor this promise, which he said was finally fulfilled by the Modi government through the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). "The CAA does not take away anyone's citizenship; it grants citizenship to refugees who were denied it for generations," Shah clarified.
Shah criticized the partition of India based on religion, calling it a "grave mistake". He said that Pakistan was created on both sides of India, leading to infiltration and demographic changes. He also accused some political parties of viewing infiltrators as a vote bank rather than a threat to the country. He also reiterated the government's policy to "detect, delete, and deport" infiltrators.
