Kiren Rijiju Says Muslim Population May Match Indonesia
Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has said India’s Muslim population may be nearly on par with Indonesia’s population after the next Census data is released.
Kiren Rijiju On Muslim Population In India
Rijiju made the remarks in Mumbai after attending a programme on the Parsi community. He said the Muslim population in India is likely to be nearly the same as that of Indonesia once fresh Census numbers are available.
He noted that India’s last Census was conducted in 2011 and the scheduled 2021 Census could not be held, meaning overall population figures would have increased since the last official count.
India Census And Minority Population Data
The minister said the final position would be clear only after the Census data is released. He also added that whatever the numbers of any community may be, all citizens are Indians.
His comments come at a time when updated population figures are awaited across communities, as the delayed Census is expected to provide a fresh demographic picture of the country.
Rijiju Flags Decline In Parsi Population
Rijiju also raised concern over the declining population of the Parsi community. He said the Parsi population in India currently stands at around 52,000 to 55,000.
He described Parsis as India’s smallest minority community and said the government is working to protect the community and ensure that its numbers do not decline further.
Rijiju also rejected claims that minorities are under threat in India, saying such fears were being created by some political organisations.
