Rijiju's statement aimed at religious polarization: Congress

New Delhi [India], Feb 14 (ANI): Asserting that Minister of State Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju's tweet about depleting Hindu population in Arunachal was aimed at religious polarization, the Congress on Tuesday urged the Election Commission to take note of former's remark. Branding Rijiju's statement as extremely irresponsible, Congress leader Manish Tewari said that the census of the states do not suggests that the Hindu population in Arunachal Pradesh is getting affected. "It is an extremely irresponsible statement, it doesn't square up with the census data. There is nothing in the census data which suggests that the majority population is coming down in any manner if the Minister of State for home has any evidence to the contrary which can controvert this census data then he should have put it out," Tewari told ANI. "This is a statement which is aimed at religious polarization and the Election Commission must take a very serious note of such an irresponsible statement made by a minister under whose ministry the registrar of census work," he added. Responding to Congress' charge that BJP was converting Arunachal Pradesh into a Hindu state, Rijiju yesterday said that the Hindu population is decreasing for the very reason that Hindus don't ask other communities to convert to Hinduism. "Hindu population is reducing in India because Hindus never convert people. Minorities in India are flourishing unlike some countries around," Rijiju tweeted. "Congress should not make such provocative statements. India is a secular country. All religious groups enjoy freedom & living peacefully. Why is Congress making such irresponsible statements? People of Arunachal Pradesh are unitedly living peacefully with each other," he added. (ANI)