NGO Population Foundation of India said that the population rates are not linked to religion in the country, and the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) among all religious groups is declining, with Muslims with the highest decrease observed among others.
An NGO said this during a debate over the increase in the population of minorities in India. According to the recent report compiled by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), the Hindu population decreased by 7.82% between 1950 and 2015, while that of Muslims increased by 43.15%, suggesting that there is a conducive environment in the country to foster diversity.
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The report led to a debate among political parties amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleges that the "appeasement politics" of the Congress-led to the increase in the population of Muslims in the country.
The Population Foundation of India said it is deeply concerned about recent media reports "misreporting" the findings from the study to spread alarm regarding the growth of the Muslim population in the country.
"The study's focus on changes in the share of majority and minority religious groups globally over a 65-year period should not be used to incite fear or discrimination against any community," it said.
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According to census figures, the decadal growth rate for Muslims has declined over the past three decades. Specifically, it decreased from 32.9 per cent in 1981-1991 to 24.6 per cent in 2001-2011. "This decline is more pronounced than that of Hindus, whose growth rate fell from 22.7 to 16.8 per cent over the same period," the NGO said.