Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State For Home, has tweeted sharp response to Congress on Arunachal

Highlights Hindu population reducing because Hindus never convert people: Rijiju

Congress accused BJP of 'converting' Arunachal Pradesh into Hindu state

Congress should not be making such provocative statements, tweeted Rijiju

Hindu population is reducing in India because Hindus never convert people. Minorities in India are flourishing unlike some countries around. pic.twitter.com/W4rZnk1saM -Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) February 13, 2017

Congress should not make such provocative statements. India is a secular country. All religious groups enjoy freedom & living peacefully. https://t.co/bmpOarAMcJ — Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) February 13, 2017

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, in a sharp rejoinder to a Congress comment, tweeted today that the "Hindu population is reducing in India because Hindus never convert people." In the middle of elections in five states including Uttar Pradesh, the comment has been seen as polarising by some parties.Mr Rijiju posted a series of tweets along with a screen grab of a news report that quoted the Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee as saying that the "Narendra Modi-led BJP government is trying to convert Arunachal Pradesh into a Hindu state".Accusing the Congress of making provocative and irresponsible statements, Mr Rijiju tweeted," Hindu population is reducing in India because Hindus never convert people. Minorities in India are flourishing unlike some countries around." The Congress, he added, should not make such provocative statements.The opposition has accused the minister, who oversees the Census, of trying to polarise votes for his party's benefit in the UP elections.Hyderabad lawmaker Asaduddin Owaisi said, Mr Rijiju "should remember he is a minister of India for all Indians, not for Hindus only. Remember your oath as minister."Mr Owaisi, the chief of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen or AIMIM, also tweeted, "What have the minorities in India got to do with minorities of 'other' countries? It is Constitution which guarantees rights (sic)."Mr Rijiju, the Minister of State for Home Affairs, is from Arunachal Pradesh, which has been struggling with political instability since last year, when Congress dissidents helped throw out their Chief Minister and joined an alliance that includes the BJP. The Congress has accused the BJP of playing a big role in the turmoil.

The BJP has dismissed any poll-related motive in Mr Rijiju's statement, despite its timing.Months after the party came to power in 2014, re-conversions or "Ghar Wapsi (homecoming)" backed by affiliated groups charged a huge debate across the country. The groups have also used the dip in the Hindu population below the 80 per cent mark to justify such campaigns.