Congress attacks government demography panel over reported data request

India’s Congress party has criticised a Home Ministry-led committee over reports that it sought religion-wise demographic data from State governments. Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said the panel had a “patently diabolical agenda” and alleged that it had already formed preconceived conclusions. His comments followed a report that the High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes had requested data covering the previous 15 years.

The reported requests included religion-wise figures for birth and vehicle registrations, school enrolment and property transactions. The committee also reportedly sought district-level details of religious structures and unusual increases in Aadhaar, voter identity card and ration card registrations. According to the report cited by Ramesh, the panel asked for intelligence assessments and commission reports on religious conversions among Scheduled Tribe communities, as well as information about operational detention centres.

The report said State governments were unable to answer many of the questions because departments do not ordinarily maintain information on a religion-wise basis. The supplied material does not include a response from the Home Ministry or the committee to Congress’s criticism. Ramesh shared the report on social media and said the committee had clearly articulated biases.

His intervention comes amid broader Congress criticism of government institutions and electoral processes, though the source material does not establish a formal link between the demography panel and the separate electoral-roll dispute.