Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated on Friday that the increase in India’s Muslim population is primarily a result of “infiltration” from Pakistan and Bangladesh, rather than higher fertility rates. This claim was made during the Narendra Mohan Memorial Lecture on “Infiltration, Demographic Change, and Democracy,” organized by Dainik Jagran in Delhi.
Shah noted that the percentage of Muslims in India grew from 9.8% in 1951 to 14.2% in 2011. He emphasized that the Muslim population increased by 24.6% between 2001 and 2011, while the Hindu population reportedly declined by 4.5%. Shah reiterated a narrative that has often been associated with Hindutva politics, framing Muslims as a demographic challenge to the Hindu majority.
“The Muslim population has increased by 24.6 per cent whereas the Hindu population has decreased by 4.5 per cent,” Shah said, attributing this to infiltration rather than demographic factors. His remarks recall Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent Independence Day speech, where he similarly referred to “infiltrators” and “demographic changes.”
Shah’s comments appear to contradict another narrative prevalent in Hindutva circles, known as “population jihad,” which claims Muslims are deliberately aiming to outnumber Hindus. He stated, “Hindus were 84 per cent of India’s population in 1951 and Muslims made up 9.8 per cent. By 2011, Hindus were 79 per cent while Muslims were 14.2 per cent.”
Shah characterized “infiltrators” as individuals who come to India unlawfully for economic gains and have not undergone religious persecution. “If anyone in the world who wants to come here is allowed to do so, our country will become a dharamshala,” he remarked, defending the government’s stance on immigration.
He clarified that the citizenship of Muslims who remained in India after Partition is not in question, but illegal entrants will be considered infiltrators. Shah expressed a commitment to identifying these infiltrators, advocating for their removal from electoral rolls and eventual deportation.
“There has been a 29.6 per cent growth in the Muslim population in Assam as per the 2011 census. This is not feasible without infiltration,” he asserted. He cited the growth of the Muslim population in various districts, particularly in West Bengal, to support his claims.
Shah identified geographical challenges, including riverine borders, as factors complicating the government’s efforts to prevent infiltration. He criticized political parties that view infiltrators as a vote bank, stating, “I want to ask the TMC where these infiltrators go first after crossing the border.”
Defending the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) initiative, Shah emphasized that free and fair elections, as mandated by the Constitution and overseen by the Election Commission, cannot occur if infiltrators are permitted to vote. “When infiltrators are included in our voter list, they become participants in the country’s political decision-making process,” he declared.
Shah’s comments reflect ongoing political discourse regarding demographic changes and immigration in India, raising questions about identity, citizenship, and electoral integrity.
Tags: Amit Shah, Muslim population, large-scale infiltration, Islamophobic rhetoric, population growth
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