The Punjab BJP has called for a review of the constitutional minority status granted to Muslims at the national level. Punjab BJP spokesperson Sarchand Singh Khiala said on Saturday that Muslims in India now hold a significant demographic and political position and argued that they can no longer be considered a minority.
Khiala suggested that minority recognition should be determined on a state-wise basis rather than nationally, while stating that reservations based on economic criteria are justified. “The Muslim community no longer fits the category of a ‘minority,’ as its population now exceeds 200 million, nearly 16-17% of India’s total population,” he said. He added that in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, and Jammu & Kashmir, Muslims hold decisive influence, making national minority privileges inconsistent with social justice.
The remarks came after an altercation in Jalandhar between a Hindu youth and Muslim protesters, who had gathered to submit a memorandum regarding arrests linked to the ‘I Love Muhammad’ campaign in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. Following the clash, local BJP leaders and Hindu groups staged a protest at BMC Chowk, demanding that a case be registered.
Khiala cited data from the Economic Advisory Council showing that the Muslim population in India grew from 9.84% in 1950 to 14.09% in 2015, while the Hindu population fell from 84.68% to 78.06% in the same period. He also noted that according to government data presented in Parliament in 2023, the Muslim population had surpassed 197.5 million and likely exceeds 200 million now, compared with Sikhs at 1.85%, Christians 2.36%, Buddhists 0.81%, Jains 0.36%, and Parsis at 0.004%.
Khiala urged the central government to revoke national minority status for Muslims and focus protections on “real minorities” such as Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Christians, and Parsis, ensuring their cultural, religious, educational, and economic rights are safeguarded. He further claimed that despite a 1% decline in the Muslim Total Fertility Rate between 2005-06 and 2020-21, the overall population continues to grow due to factors like illegal immigration, refugee influx, and religious conversions, which he said were altering India’s demographic balance and posing challenges to national unity.
