Detecting, deleting, and deporting infiltrators: Amit Shah

New Delhi: Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday said that the central government will follow a "policy of detect, delete and deport" in dealing with infiltrators.

Shah was delivering a lecture on 'Infiltration, demographic change and democracy' organised by a media house. Backing the SIR exercise in Bihar, the home minister said that inclusion of infiltrators in the voters' list pollutes the spirit of the Constitution and asserted that voting rights should only be available to the citizens of the country. "BJP has adopted the formula of detect, delete, and deport since the 1950s. We will detect the infiltrators, delete them from the voter list, and deport them from this country as well," he said. "On August 15, Modiji announced from the Red Fort the creation of a high-powered demographic mission. This mission will also study illegal migration, its impact on religious and social life, the unusual settlement patterns arising due to changes in population, and its effect on border management."

Talking about infiltration, Shah said, "Centre alone cannot stop it. State governments protect such infiltrators as some parties see a vote bank in them." Giving specific figures, he said the Muslim population increased in the country due to infiltration. "Censuses were conducted in 1951, 1971, 1991, and 2011... In the 1951 census, Hindus constituted 84%, while Muslims constituted 9.8%. In 1971, Hindus constituted 82% and the Muslim population was 11%, while in 1991, Hindus constituted 81% and the Muslim community accounted for 12.12%, while in 2011, Hindus accounted for 79%, and Muslims accounted for 14.2%. I am talking about the populations of only two religions because I want to talk about infiltration. The Muslim population in India has reached 24.6%. This increase occurred due to infiltration," he added.