‘Hindus Are No Majority In India’: Cleric Sajjad Nomani Sparks Row Over Demographic Claims; BJP Slams 'Dividing Tactics'

A major controversy has erupted online following a speech by a prominent Islamic cleric at the Islamic Summit in India. Maulana Khalilur Rahman Sajjad Nomani, a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB),  asserted that several communities traditionally grouped under India's Hindu population should not be categorized as Hindus. The remarks, which quickly went viral, have ignited intense social media debates surrounding religious identity, national demographics, and social harmony.

Contradicting India's Demographic Classifications

In his address, Maulana Sajjad Nomani argued that the conventional understanding of India’s demographic makeup is fundamentally flawed. According to his analysis, which he claims is backed by three decades of ground-level travel and research across the country, Hindus cannot be considered a majority community if distinct identity groups are calculated independently.

He specifically highlighted that Scheduled Castes, Adivasis (tribal communities), Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Lingayats, and the population of Tamil Nadu possess entirely distinct identities that set them apart from Hinduism. The cleric emphasized that Adivasis, as the original and oldest inhabitants of the land, should not be grouped under the Hindu umbrella. Furthermore, he claimed that parts of Western Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have seen local community meetings where members of the Jat community discussed officially registering themselves as Sikhs, though he provided no specific evidence to verify this claim.

What Maulana Sajjad Nomani Said

The core of the controversy centers on the specific statements made by the cleric during his speech, where he invoked a solemn religious oath to emphasize his perspective on India's social structure.

Maulana Nomani stated:

"I place my hand on the Hajr-e-Aswad (the Black Stone) and the Kiswah (cloth) of the Kaaba and swear that Hindus are a minority in India. Under no circumstances can Hindus be considered a majority. I repeat once again: Sikhs are not Hindus. Christians are not Hindus. Buddhists are not Hindus. People of the Scheduled Castes are not Hindus.

Tribal people—the Adivasis, who are the original and oldest inhabitants of this country—are not Hindus either. The people of Tamil Nadu are not Hindus. Lingayats are not Hindus. Just think about it.

This is our lack of awareness regarding our own country. And from the very beginning, the way we have divided Hindus into 'secular Hindus' and 'communal Hindus'—this division has deceived us greatly. First, the so-called secular Hindus caused us harm, and now they have served the country on a platter to the fascist Hindus. I tell you very clearly, people are also making announcements now...

...that we will now formally announce and accept the Sikh religion. [They are saying] 'We are Jats, we are not Hindus. We were made into Hindus.' Therefore, to announce that they are not Hindus and to declare themselves as Sikhs in official government documents, Jats from Western UP to Haryana have made this declaration. Thousands upon thousands of their panchayats (village councils) have gathered and made this announcement, and are continuing to do so."

He added:

"One thing about the country is that we don't know the situation. We try to understand the country through the media. And we come to the conclusion that someone in the country must know so much."

Critique of Political Classifications

Beyond demographic claims, the cleric targeted the traditional political distinction made by sections of the Muslim community between "secular Hindus" and "communal" or "fascist" groups. He asserted that relying on this political framework was a mistake that ultimately backfired, arguing that "both ended up hurting our cause" and inadvertently aided hardline Hindu organizations.

BJP Directs Sharp Criticism at the Remarks

The speech has drawn sharp condemnation from critics and political figures who accuse the cleric of trying to fracture Indian society along social and religious lines. Responding to the widely circulated speech, BJP official Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla strongly criticized Maulana Nomani, linking his rhetoric to a broader political agenda.

BJP Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla

"So finally, the Jihadi mindset—which dictates dividing Hindus to weaken India—has come out in the open. Maulana Sajjad Nomani, who had appealed for 'Vote Jihad' for the MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi) in Maharashtra, is now saying that Hindus are no longer a majority in the country. [He claims] 'We have divided the Hindus; the SC community is not Hindu, Tribals are not Hindu.' Then he says Jats are not Hindu, and that they have divided all of them. He adds that merely dividing them into secular and communal categories will no longer work, and they must now move toward a 'complete solution.'

And who is this? This is the same toxic individual whom we saw NCP (Sharad Pawar) candidates begging for support. We saw him appealing for Vote Jihad. This means dividing Hindus into fragments—sometimes in the name of caste, sometimes in the name of something else—and then uniting the Muslim vote bank as one.

In reality, this is the exact same thing that their political masters, the Congress Party, do. The Samajwadi Party, the Trinamool Congress—all these parties operate on this exact same propaganda and agenda: divide Hindus along caste lines or language lines, and consolidate the Muslim vote bank. So, Sajjad Nomani is essentially saying the exact same thing that Rahul Gandhi says. Rahul Gandhi and Sajjad Nomani share the same agenda and the same objective; only their methods are different."
 

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