Demographic transition report by PM panel sparks political row

New Delhi, May 9

The Prime Minister’s economic advisory council’s report revealing 7.8 per cent fall in the number of Hindu majority population in India between 1950 and 2015 triggered a political row on Thursday with the Opposition questioning the timing and the ruling BJP calling for a serious debate on issues flagged by the findings.

It’s A serious issue: Minister

This is a serious issue that leads to many important questions that need to be asked and answered: What is the role illegal immigration and conversion playing in this? Does it not amount to crowding out other minorities from the benefits of government schemes? — Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union minister

NGO cautions against inciting fear

Non-governmental organisation (NGO) Population Foundation of India has said the study’s focus on changes in the share of majority and minority religious groups globally over a period of 65 years should not be used to incite fear or discrimination against any community

The working paper released by the EAC to the PM found that the share of the majority Hindu population declined by 7.82 per cent in 65 years, while that of minorities, including Muslims, increased.

In 165 nations under study, the numbers of majority religious denominations fell by 22 per cent in 65 years, the report said.

Government ministers cited the findings as serious and said the trend of only Muslim communities outgrowing other communities and altering demography was a serious issue that required debate and introspection.

“This is a serious issue that leads to many important questions that need to be asked and answered: What is the role illegal immigration and conversion playing in this?; does it not amount to crowding out other minorities like Christians, Sikhs, Jains from the benefits of government schemes?; what impact will the population growth of Muslims alone have on development and opportunities for OBCs, SCs & STs, especially with the Congress talking of religion-based reservations to Muslims?” asked IT and Communications Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

In Raebareli, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, who is campaigning for her brother and party candidate Rahul Gandhi, said the report amounted to another addition to the BJP’s “polarising agenda”.

Asked to comment on the findings, she said, “Who is even asking this question (read the BJP)?” Chandrasekhar, meanwhile, said hopefully everyone would sit together and answer the questions the report had raised. Opposition leaders, however, slammed the BJP for trying to create communal fissures.

CPI general secretary D Raja and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav said the Centre had not conducted the Census and was releasing the findings of a working paper by the Economic Advisory Council to the PM in the middle of elections.