NEW DELHI: Hindu nationalist Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s latest remarks targeting Muslims during an election rally in Rajasthan have sparked widespread outrage amidst the ongoing general elections.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), widely expected to secure victory for the third consecutive term, has faced criticism for Modi’s Islamophobic comments, which accused the opposition Indian National Congress (INC) of favoring Muslims in the distribution of national resources. Modi referred to Muslims as “infiltrators” and insinuated that they were burdening the country by having more children.
In his speech, Modi alleged that during the INC’s tenure, there was a bias towards Muslims in resource allocation, claiming that wealth would be distributed among those with larger families and deemed as “infiltrators.”
The opposition has called upon India’s Election Commission to investigate whether Modi’s statements violated electoral codes of conduct, which prohibit appeals for votes based on caste or communal sentiments to prevent exacerbating divisions within society.
Members of the Muslim community have strongly criticized Modi’s remarks, with journalist Rana Ayyub condemning them as direct hate speech rather than mere dog whistling. All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen President Asaduddin Owaisi accused Modi of consistently using anti-Muslim rhetoric for political gain since 2002.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge denounced Modi’s statements as hate speech and a deliberate attempt to divert attention. He referenced the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), an extremist organization, suggesting that Modi’s behavior was reflective of its values and lamenting the degradation of the prime ministerial office under Modi’s leadership.
