The Congress has attacked the Narendra Modi government over the Home Ministry-led demography committee seeking religion-wise data for the past 15 years on birth and vehicle registrations, school enrolment and property tr…

The Congress has attacked the Narendra Modi government over the Home Ministry-led demography committee seeking religion-wise data for the past 15 years on birth and vehicle registrations, school enrolment and property transactions, alleging that the panel has a “patently diabolical agenda”.In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared a report in The Hindu which said that the High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes has sought religion-wise data for the past 15 years on birth and vehicle registrations, school enrolment and property transactions, as well as district-wise details of religious structures and unusual increases in Aadhaar, voter ID and ration card registrations.It has also sought intelligence assessments and commission reports on religious conversions among Scheduled Tribe communities, and details of operational detention centres, among other information, according to the report.Govt committed to curbing unnatural demographic growth with ruthless approach: Amit ShahIn his post, Ramesh said this panel had a “patently diabolical agenda” and had clearly articulated pre-conceived biases. “Its report has already been prepared no doubt,” Ramesh added.The report said that State governments are unable to answer most of the questions posed by the high-level committee, as government departments do not ordinarily maintain much of the information sought by the panel on a religion-wise basis.It quoted State government officials as saying that the set of 35 questions asked by the committee was difficult to answer, as the secular construct of the Constitution prohibited the collection of data under religious categories. Other than birth registration, where the religion of the newborn is mentioned on the certificate, and the number of undocumented migrants apprehended or deported, the religion-wise data on all other categories were unavailable, the report quoted officials as saying. The Union government constituted the high-level committee to study the demographic changes arising from “illegal immigration and other abnormal reasons”, and to suggest measures to deal with these demographic changes.Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the “High-powered Demography Mission” on August 15, 2025. The Union Cabinet gave its approval to this proposal on September 11, 2025.

Source: Deccan Herald