Uttarakhand Cong chief slams CM Dhami's 'demographic change' stance

Dehradun, Sep 28 (IANS) Uttarakhand Congress President Karan Mahara on Saturday launched a scathing critique of the recent verification drive initiated under the directives of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, aimed at addressing concerns of "demographic change" in the state.

Expressing his disapproval, Mahara said, "Two days ago, I raised this issue in the press. In the past 25 years, has any census recorded whether the population of Hindus or Muslims is increasing?"

Notably, as per the 2011 census, Uttarakhand had a population of approximately 1.10 crore, with Hindus comprising 83 per cent (84 lakh), Muslims at 13.9 per cent (14.06 lakh), and Sikhs accounting for 2.34 per cent.

"I personally believe migration is the real issue. People from villages are moving to cities in search of jobs, education, and better healthcare. Villages are becoming deserted while cities are becoming overcrowded," Mahara further said, highlighting concerns about migration.

The state Congress chief further criticised the BJP for "introducing terms such as land jihad, love jihad and Uniform Civil Code (UCC), and now raising the issue of demographic change".

He accused the BJP of using religious rhetoric as a distraction from their own political challenges. "The BJP is in a predicament, and that is why they are trying to raise these religious issues," he said.

Mahara's remarks came in response to CM Dhami's recent announcement of a verification drive to address concerns over changing demographics in the state.

The drive, according to the government, is aimed at identifying individuals who have moved to Uttarakhand from other states and ensuring proper scrutiny, particularly in areas where illegal residency and criminal activities may be on the rise.

The focus of the drive has been on the plains, where the state government believes the issue to be most pronounced.

The verification drive follows allegations from some local communities that the population of minority groups has significantly increased in certain parts of the state, raising concerns about an adverse impact on Uttarakhand's demography.

The Uttarakhand Police have already begun implementing the verification drive, with directives to focus on cases of "demographic change, religious conversion, and love jihad," as emphasised by CM Dhami.