Congress Hits Back at Amit Shah Over ‘Muslim Infiltration’ Remark, Questions His 11 Year Tenure as Home Minister
Pawan Khera accuses Shah of stoking communal tensions ahead of polls; cites low deportation figures under BJP rule
New Delhi, Oct 12 : The Congress party has sharply criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his recent comments on the rise in the Muslim population, accusing him of attempting to polarise voters ahead of the upcoming elections.
In a strong response, Congress spokesperson and Chairman of the Media & Publicity Department, Pawan Khera, said Shah’s statement was aimed at “fanning the Hindu-Muslim divide” for political gain.
“The Minister of Cooperation said the most uncooperative thing on October 10 to ignite communal tension and influence voters before the polls,” Khera said.
Questioning Shah’s credibility as Home Minister, Khera remarked, “If there has been such large-scale Muslim infiltration, what exactly was the Home Minister doing for the last 11 years?”
He further alleged that Shah deleted a social media post referring to the increase in Muslim population after realising it could backfire politically. “He quickly realised the post could boomerang, so it was deleted. But that doesn’t erase the truth,” Khera added.
Khera also cited figures claiming that between 2005 and 2013, Congress governments deported 88,792 Bangladeshi nationals, while under BJP rule, fewer than 10,000 have been deported in 11 years.
Amit Shah had earlier said at an event in Delhi that the Muslim population in India had risen by 24.6 per cent, while the Hindu population had declined by 4.5 per cent attributing this difference to “infiltration, not fertility.”
Congress has accused the BJP of using divisive rhetoric to divert attention from real governance issues as election season intensifies.
