"We not only condemn issuance of the circulars, but demand that the State government withdraw them immediately," said United Christian Forum for Human Rights Coordinator Father Cedric Prakash. He said, "the information that the government has sought about the Christian and Muslim citizens directly violate their constitutional rights".

Father alleged that both the circulars were secretly issued to all top police officials from the DGP Intelligence to DSPs. "But most of the information that they have been asked to collect like how many Christians and Muslims with criminal bent of mind live in their districts or the countries which are funding the Muslim and Christian Missionaries to carry out conversions in the State are downright offending," he said.

Although Father Prakash parried the question when he was asked about the government's motive behind issuing such circulars, he said, Hitler had a clear motive when he ordered his men to carry out census of the Jews. "It was to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the Jews before carrying out their massacre," Father said. He said that census of Sikhs was also carried out before they were massacred soon after Indira Gandhi was assassinated.

Referring to a particular query which the government has made in a circular about the activities of the Islamic Movement of India's activities in the State, its Gujarat unit president Asif Sheikh alleged that the IMI was being witch-hunted because it resolved to carry out reconstruction of the Babri Masjid. Accusing the Keshubhai Patel government of implementing the `hidden agenda' of the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh, Sheikh alleged that the circulars were a clear proof that the State administration was dominated by RSS elements. "The census exercise," he said, "is a conspiracy to block the progress of the Muslim community".

St Xavier's College principal Father Francis Parmar said, all the NGOs who participated in the dharna will again meet on Wednesday to chalk out further plans to mount pressure on the government to withdraw the circulars. Besides, he said, the Movement for Secular Democracy will organise a State convention of NGOs at Ahmedabad on February 28 to take stock of the situation in Gujarat as also to save democracy.

The voluntary organisations which participated in the dharna include the Quami Ekta Trust, the Jamiat-Ulma-e-Hind, the St Xavier's Social Service Society, Movement for Secular Democracy, the National Alliance of Women's organisations and others.