Congress says demography panel has ‘patently diabolical agenda’

• Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised the demography panel after a report detailed its requests for religion-wise data

• The reported requests also cover religious structures, identity document registrations and conversions among Scheduled Tribe communities

• According to the report, states may struggle to respond because departments do not routinely keep much of the requested information by religion

The Congress criticised the Centre on Tuesday over a report that a home ministry-led committee studying demographic changes had sought religion-wise data on births, school enrolment, vehicle registrations and property transactions for the past 15 years.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh shared the report by The Hindu on X and said the panel had a “patently diabolical agenda”. He said its questions reflected preconceived biases and suggested that its conclusions had already been drawn.

According to the report, the High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes has also requested district-wise details of religious structures and information on unusual increases in Aadhaar, voter ID and ration card registrations. It has reportedly sought intelligence assessments and commission reports concerning religious conversions among Scheduled Tribe communities, along with details of operational detention centres.

The report said state governments were unable to answer many of the committee’s questions because departments do not ordinarily maintain much of the information in a religion-wise format.

The reported requests form the basis of the Congress’s criticism. The committee’s findings have not been released.

With IANS inputs