Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday made a strong statement about demographic changes in India, asserting that the rise in Muslim population was primarily due to infiltration from neighbouring countries—Pakistan and Bangladesh—and not because of fertility differences.
Addressing an event in New Delhi, Shah said that while India’s Hindu population has declined by 4.5%, the Muslim population has increased by 24.6%, citing infiltration as the reason behind this demographic shift.
“I am telling you this because it is not due to the fertility rate; it is due to infiltration,” Shah stated.
‘India Will Become a Dharamshala if Everyone Is Allowed In’
Emphasizing the need to protect India’s citizenship integrity, Shah warned that if anyone is allowed to enter India without scrutiny, the country would “become a dharamshala.”
He drew a distinction between refugees and infiltrators, explaining:
“A refugee comes to India to save his or her religion, while an infiltrator crosses the border illegally for economic or other reasons. If anyone in the world is allowed to come here, our country will become a dharamshala.”
Remarks on SIR and Electoral Integrity
Referring to the Special Summary Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Shah urged citizens not to view it from a political perspective but as a national security issue. He said the Election Commission is constitutionally responsible for maintaining accurate voter lists.
He criticised the Congress for being in “denial mode” over infiltration issues and alleged that the Opposition’s vote bank is being eroded because of the voter list verification process.
“Free and fair elections cannot be held unless the voter list includes only Indian citizens who have attained the prescribed age,” he added.
Historical Context
Linking the issue to the partition of India, Shah said the country’s division occurred on religious lines, and infiltration from both sides since then has altered population patterns.
Originally published on newsworldstime.com.
Originally published on 24×7-news.com.
