Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former MP Kirit Somaiya has raised concerns over what he described as changing demographic patterns in Mumbai, claiming that the city could become “Muslim Mumbai”. He has urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to set up a committee to examine changes in the city’s population.
In a post on X, Somaiya described the trend as a “conspiracy for ‘Muslim Mumbai’” and cited figures on Hindu and Muslim births in the city. “3 Hindu Children against 2 Muslim Children,” he wrote, claiming that the birth ratio between the two communities was 3:2.
Somaiya also wrote to Fadnavis, asking him to constitute a dedicated demographic committee to study the city’s population trends.
Somaiya Shares Birth Figures
According to figures shared by Somaiya, Mumbai recorded 70,380 Hindu births and 48,554 Muslim births in 2025. He also claimed that 3,36,625 Hindu children and 2,20,754 Muslim children were born in the city over the past five years.
Based on these figures, Somaiya said the ratio of Hindu to Muslim births was approximately 3:2. However, the figures cited in his social media post have not been independently verified.
He further claimed that Muslims accounted for less than 10 per cent of Mumbai’s population after Independence in 1947, while the 2011 Census put their share at around 20 per cent. He estimated that the figure could now be 25 per cent and reach 31 per cent by 2051, attributing the projection to the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.
Somaiya also referred to what he described as high fertility rates and alleged migration by Bangladeshis, Rohingyas and Muslims from northern India.
However, the figures he shared have faced questions. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation records show that Mumbai recorded 1,17,606 live births in 2025, around 1,000 fewer than the combined Hindu and Muslim birth figures cited by Somaiya. The figures in his post have not been independently verified.
Seeks Committee to Study Demographic Changes
Somaiya urged the Maharashtra government to form a committee to examine the city’s demographic trends, referring to the need for a body similar to the national panel studying population changes.
“I requested Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to set up a Demographic Committee to save Mumbai from becoming Muslim Mumbai,” he wrote on X.
Somaiya has previously made similar allegations. In September, he campaigned against a mosque over what he called “land jihad”, following which the BMC cut its water supply. In July, he described a Mumbai school as an “unauthorised madrasa” and an example of “school jihad”.
Neither Fadnavis nor the BJP has issued an official statement responding to Somaiya’s latest claims.
