Muslim population rising due to infiltration from Pakistan, Bangladesh: Amit Shah

Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday said that the rise in India’s Muslim population was not driven by fertility rates but by “infiltration” from Pakistan and Bangladesh. Speaking at an event in New Delhi, Shah also asserted that voting rights should be reserved only for Indian citizens.

“The Muslim population has increased by 24.6 per cent, whereas the Hindu population has decreased by 4.5 per cent. This has not happened because of fertility rates — it has happened because of infiltration,” Shah was quoted as saying by PTI.

Referring to the partition of India, Shah said that Pakistan was created “on both sides of India,” and infiltration from those sides led to demographic changes.

“I will tell you the difference between an infiltrator and a refugee. The Hindu population that declined in Pakistan and Bangladesh — many among them came to India as refugees. But the increase in the Muslim population in India was not due to fertility; it happened because many infiltrated into our country,” the home minister said.

He added that the inclusion of infiltrators in the voters’ list “pollutes the spirit of the Constitution” and reiterated that only citizens should have the right to vote.

Shah calls infiltration, SIR ‘national issues’

Shah also said that infiltration and the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls should not be viewed through a political lens, calling them “national issues.”

He accused the Congress of being in “denial mode” over the SIR exercise, pointing out that similar revisions were carried out during the party’s rule as well.

“The opposition is opposing this exercise because their vote banks are getting cut. It is the Election Commission’s constitutional responsibility to clean the voter list. If you have any issues, you can go to court,” he said.

Shah maintained that free and fair elections are only possible when the voters’ list reflects Indian citizens of eligible age.

“A time will come when the opposition will also not be spared,” he added.