India / Fertility rate of Muslims decreasing, can't become majority: Digvijaya Singh

Indore: Claiming the fertility rate of Muslims is falling in India, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday said the population of Muslims can never increase in a manner that they will become a majority community outnumbering Hindus.

Addressing a conference on the communal harmony organised jointly by Congress, Left parties and trade unions in Indore, Mr Singh gave the analogy of demon Ravan and his ten heads to slam the "communal" BJP and RSS.

"On one hand Sangh workers spread poison (of communalism) and on the other hand, Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat says the DNA of Hindus and Muslims is the same. I challenge Bhagwat for an open debate," Mr Singh said as he accused the people associated with the Sangh of spreading false propaganda on this subject.

Taking a swipe at right-wing leaders and organisations, the Rajya Sabha MP said false propaganda is being spread that due to the "continuous increase in the population of Muslims through polygamy they will become a majority community in India while Hindus will be reduced to a minority within the next 10 years".

“I challenge Bhagwat and small RSS pracharaks for a public debate on this subject. I will prove that Muslims can never become a majority community in this country leaving behind Hindus as the fertility rate of Muslims is decreasing.

“Anyway, it is becoming difficult due to inflation for a common man to sustain his wife and children born to her. In such circumstances, which Muslim can (afford to) have a family of four wives and children born to them?" he asked.

Targetting the BJP and its ideological parent RSS, Singh said "the words and actions of BJP and RSS never match".

"Ravan had ten faces and he used to speak different things through them. The condition of the Sangh and BJP is the same. On the one hand, Sangh activists spew venom while on the other hand Sangh chief Bhagwat says that the DNA of Hindus and Muslims is the same," he said.

If the DNA of Hindus and Muslims is the same then why the communal hatred is being spread and what is the need for issues like "love jihad", the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister asked.

Mr Singh alleged the Sangh and the BJP are following the "divide and rule" policy of the British to divide Hindus and Muslims and "spreading lies and illusions" in the country.

Referring to the thrashing of a bangle seller by a group of people in Indore, Mr Singh said it's the Sangh's mentality is to attack a weak person and not to touch strong people.

“The poor man (Tasleem Ali) who had come to sell bangles from Uttar Pradesh was first beaten up, then he was made an accused (on a complaint of sexual harassment filed by a minor girl). The thought to book him under POCSO Act hit the police three days after the (thrashing) incident," he said.

Ali (25) was thrashed by a mob in the Govind Nagar area in Indore on August 22 apparently for concealing his original name, a video of which went viral on social media. He was arrested on August 25 for allegedly sexually harassing a 13-year-old girl as well as for alleged Aadhaar Card forgery.