West Bengal’s demography entering a dangerous phase: BJP

BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari has claimed that West Bengal’s demography is entering a “dangerous phase” in several districts of the State with the growth rate of the Hindu population declining every passing decade. In a video posted on his official social media handle on Tuesday, Bhandari claimed that the rate of decline of the Hindu population in the border districts of West Bengal is “directly proportional” to the rate of increase of “illegal infiltrating activities” in those districts.

“The decadal growth rate of the Hindu population is declining with every passing decade. Bengal’s demography is entering a dangerous phase — disturbingly similar to the 1940s in several districts,” he wrote.

“It’s not about Hindus becoming a minority, it's about the Hindu population falling to less than 70 per cent, He said, adding, “Demography is democracy’s destiny.”

Bhandari claimed that the decadal growth of the Hindu population, which was 21 per cent in 1980, has now reduced to 10 per cent.

“Which is what defeats the entire logic of TFR (total fertility rate). It says that even though the Muslim population growth rate has reduced from what it was 40 years back, the rate of decline of the Hindu population is faster than the rate of decline of the Muslim population. So, the TFR gap always remains,” he said.

This is why the Hindus are “disproportionately” decreasing in West Bengal and Muslims are increasing in the State, he claimed.

“But, along with that, Bengal being the model state has another tangential data which says that the rate of decline of the Hindu population in the border districts of Bengal is directly proportional to the rate of increase of illegal infiltrating activities which have been found in those districts,” Bhandari added.