Three Political Parties, Three Very Different Views On PM-EAC’s Demographics Report

A study by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) has revealed that the population share of the majority religion in India (Hindus) declined sharply by 7.8% between 1950 and 2015, while a number of neighbouring countries saw a jump in the population of their majority community. While the Hindu population shrunk in India, the share of minorities, including Muslim, Christian, Buddhist and Sikhs, went up. However, the number of Jains and Parsis in the population mix decreased. Between 1950 and 2015, the Muslim population share in India surged by 43%, Christians saw a 5.38% increase, Sikhs a 6.58% rise, and Buddhists witnessed a slight increase. The share of Hindus in India's population saw a decrease from 84% in 1950 to 78% in 2015, while that of Muslims witnessed an increase from 9.84% to 14.09% in the same period (of 65 years), according to the EAC-PM study. Here’s what Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, AIMIM Hyderabad candidate Asaduddin Owaisi and BJP’s Giriraj Singh have to say on the issue.