Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], October 12 (ANI): Opposition-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala on Sunday responded to the remarks of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on disparity in population growth across all religions and said that targeting any particular community is 'unacceptable' in a secular country like India, and people from all communities can live here.

UDF convenor Adoor Prakash told ANI, '...India is a secular state, not a Hindu state; all the communities can live here, targeting any particular community is not acceptable.'

Meanwhile, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of 'telling lies' in his remarks concerning infiltration and disparity in population growth across all religions and said it is the Centre's responsibility to check infiltration.

In an interview with ANI, Owaisi claimed that the Muslim population has increased by 4.4 per cent from the first census to the 2011 census.

'Amit Shah made a statement about the population. He is telling lies after lies. From the first census to the 2011 census, the Muslim population has increased by 4.4%... Mohan Bhagwat said that the population of one community is increasing a lot, and then later Yogi Adityanath said that the population of indigenous people is decreasing. Mohan Bhagwat is now saying to have three children,' he said.

'Government statistics show that the total fertility rate of Muslims has fallen the most. If someone is infiltrating, you are a minister, why can't you stop them?... If you call every Bengali-speaking Indian Muslim a Bangladeshi, then this is wrong,' he added.

Earlier, on October 10, at an event, Amit Shah stated that the disparity in population growth across all religions observed in censuses from 1951 to 2011 is primarily due to infiltration.

He said that the Muslim population has increased at a rate of 24.6 per cent, while the Hindu population has decreased by 4.5 per cent.

He clarified that this decline is not due to the fertility rate but rather due to infiltration. When India was partitioned, Pakistan was formed on both sides based on religion, which later split into Bangladesh and Pakistan.

He noted that infiltration from both sides has led to such a significant change in the population.

'Today, infiltration, demographic change, and democracy; I want to say without hesitation that until every Indian understands these three issues, we cannot ensure our country, our culture, our languages, and our independence. These three topics are interconnected...' Shah said.'Censuses were conducted in 1951, 1971, 1991, and 2011... In the 1951 census, Hindus constituted 84 per cent, while Muslims constituted 9.8 per cent. In 1971, Hindus constituted 82 per cent, and the Muslim population was 11 per cent, while in 1991, Hindus constituted 81 per cent and the Muslim community accounted for 12.12 per cent, while in 1991, we accounted for 89 per cent, and Muslims accounted for 14.2 per cent. I'm talking about the populations of only two religions because I want to talk about infiltration...' he said. (ANI)