Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took a reporter by surprise when she was asked for a response regarding a recent study conducted by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM).
The study titled 'Share of Religious Minorities: A Cross-Country Analysis (1950-2015)' claimed a significant shift in the population demographics of India over the last several decades, with the Hindu population share declining by 7.81 per cent between 1950 and 2015, while the share of minorities, including Muslims, increased during the period.
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When asked for her response to the report, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was in Raebareli to campaign for Rahul Gandhi, queried, "Where did the question come from?"
The reporter responded that it originated from the office. In a somewhat cryptic retort, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, "From the office, right? Tell the office Priyanka is asking who sent them (the question)".
Watch | PM Narendra Modi says he does not oppose Islam: 'Muslim community is…'
{{/usCountry}}Watch | PM Narendra Modi says he does not oppose Islam: 'Muslim community is…'
{{/usCountry}}The BJP on Thursday seized upon the revelations made in the working paper and expressed concern over the pace of increase in Muslim population in the country. Wondering its impact on the reservation provided to SCs, STs and OBCs, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi claimed that the Congress is "hell bent" on providing quota to the minority community if voted to power.
“It's a very well-known fact, which has been in the public domain for around a decade. If you see the 1951 census, Hindus were having 88 per cent population and Muslims 9.5 per cent. In the 2011 census, Hindus (population) reduced to 79.8 percent from 80 percent while Muslims' percentage went up by more than 14.5,” Sudhanshu Trivedi told PTI.
"But, the question arises that if by this pace the population is increasing and Congress is hell bent upon giving reservation to the Muslims on the basis of population, they will cut the share of the SCs, STs and the OBCs," he added.