Guwahati, Jul 19 (IANS): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday that the population of Muslims is increasing every decade by at least 29 to 30 per cent and the state would become a Muslim-majority state by 2041.

Chief Minister Sarma added that the rate of population increase of Muslims is much higher than that of Hindus and as per the current population rate, the Muslims would be a majority in the next 17 years.

The Hindu population increased at a rate of 16 per cent in Assam, he said.

"Muslims constituted 1.4 crore of Assam's population in 2011 and if there is an increase of 30 per cent in each decade, what would be the population in 2041?"

"In every decade the Muslim population is outnumbering the Hindu population by 16 per cent. In every decade there is an addition of 22 lakh Muslim population," the Chief Minister told the media.

He said that he was referring to estimated figures of the Census and these are not his figures and added that it is a fact that by 2041, Assam would become a Muslim majority state.

Earlier, Sarma had said, "Changing demography is a big issue in Assam, where Muslims are 40 per cent of the population today. In 1951, they were 12 per cent. This is not a political issue but a matter of life and death for me."

The Assam government on Thursday decided to repeal the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorce Registration Act and Rules, 1935, through the Assam Repealing Bill, 2024.

The state government will table this Bill in the next Monsoon Session of the Assembly.

According to the Census 2011, Muslims account for 34.22 per cent in the entire state, while Hindus and other religions account for the rest of the 3.12-crore population of Assam.