Overview

• Amit Shah said increases in the Muslim population stem from cross‑border infiltration from Pakistan and Bangladesh rather than fertility, citing a 24.6% growth rate for Muslims and a 4.5-point decline for Hindus.
• He pointed to census trends and asserted sharp rises in certain areas as evidence, including a 29.6% decadal growth for Muslims in Assam and claims of 40–70% growth in parts of West Bengal’s border districts.
• The home minister vowed to “detect, delete and deport” alleged illegal migrants, saying names would be removed from electoral rolls and non‑citizens expelled.
• He endorsed the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of voter lists as its constitutional duty, as the Supreme Court has allowed Aadhaar to be used for the exercise while broader legal challenges continue.
• Opposition leaders, including Congress’s Pawan Khera, accused Shah of communal polarisation, as media reports documented recent crackdowns in BJP‑ruled states with some Bengali‑speaking workers declared foreigners or pushed into Bangladesh.