Owaisi Alleges Demography Panel Targeting Muslims Over Religion Wise Data Request
AIMIM chief questions Centre’s move to seek 15 years of religion wise information on vehicles, property, education and voter registrations
New Delhi: AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has accused the Centre’s High Level Committee on Demographic Changes (HLCDC) of targeting Muslims through its reported request for religion wise data from state governments.
Owaisi made the remarks on Tuesday, September 29, after reports emerged that the committee had sought extensive demographic and administrative data from states and Union Territories covering the past 15 years.
According to reports, the committee has sought religion wise information on birth registrations, school enrolment, vehicle registrations and property transactions. It has also reportedly asked for district wise details of religious structures and unusual increases in Aadhaar, voter ID and ration card registrations.
The committee has also reportedly sought information related to changes in religious composition in districts, industrial areas, border regions and tribal areas, along with intelligence assessments and reports concerning religious conversions among Scheduled Tribe communities. Details of operational detention centres and issues relating to undocumented migration have also reportedly been sought.
Reacting to the reports in a post on X, Owaisi said the government had previously not accepted demands for detailed data on the educational, social and economic conditions of Muslims. He questioned why the committee was now seeking information on vehicle ownership, land and property transactions on religious lines.
Owaisi alleged that the purpose of the exercise was not to develop better policies based on demographic data but to use the information against Muslims and further restrict their rights.
The allegation has not been established by the committee’s constitution or mandate. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the HLCDC was constituted on May 26, 2026, under the chairmanship of retired Supreme Court judge Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar to study demographic changes arising from illegal immigration and other specified factors and recommend measures to address them.
Reports also indicate that several state governments are facing difficulties in responding to the committee’s questionnaire because government departments do not ordinarily maintain much of the requested information according to religion. Officials have reportedly said that compiling such data retrospectively could therefore be challenging.
Owaisi had also raised concerns about the committee during an interaction with media persons on September 27. He linked its work to areas where the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls has been completed and suggested that the exercise could eventually be connected with identifying alleged illegal migrants.
Referring to statements previously made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the National Register of Citizens, Owaisi said it was possible that an NRC exercise could be carried out using SIR electoral rolls.
The HLCDC’s official mandate, however, is to examine demographic changes and recommend policy, administrative and legal measures relating to the factors identified by the government. The committee’s reported data request and Owaisi’s interpretation of its purpose remain separate issues.