Commission Targeting Muslims by Seeking Religion-Based Data on Vehicles and Land: Owaisi

Asaduddin Owaisi, President of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and Member of Parliament, has strongly condemned the central government's Demography Commission for demanding religion-based data regarding vehicle registrations and property transactions, alleging that it is a deliberate move to target the Muslim minority.

In a post shared on social media platform X on Tuesday, citing media reports, Owaisi stated that while the government previously turned a deaf ear to demands for collecting authentic data on the educational, social, and economic conditions of Muslims, Amit Shah's Demography Commission is now asking states how many vehicles are bought by people of specific religions and who owns how much land. He expressed deep apprehension that instead of formulating progressive welfare policies, this data could be manipulated and used as a tool to undermine the remaining rights of Muslims.

According to reports, the High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes (HLCDC) has requested religion-based data over the past 15 years spanning birth registrations, vehicle registrations, school admissions, and property transactions. Additionally, data regarding district-wise religious structures and unusual surges in Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration card registrations has been sought. The committee was formed by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on May 26, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar, to review demographic shifts caused by illegal immigration and related factors.