Praveen Togadia said that the rising Muslim population in India, as suggested in the census, is a cause for concern.
According to Togadia, the issue will be discussed in a closed-door meeting — or ‘Sant Sammelan’ — between VHP leaders on September 5 at the Rashtriya Sant Shri Sadguru Janardan Swami Ashram in Nashik. The decision made at the meeting will be made public on September 6 — VHP’s Golden Jubilee anniversary.
“The declining number of Hindus is taken very seriously by Hindu seers. What is more worrisome is the increasing number of Muslims. Increasing number of Muslims and declining numbers of Hindu post Independence and post separation is alarming,” Togadia said.
The census findings on the religious make-up of the country show that the proportion of Hindus within the total population declined by 0.7 percentage points between 2001-2011, while the proportion of Muslims within the total population has increased by 0.8 per cent.
“We wish to work with government on resolving these issues,” Togadia added.