Amid India election, Modi accused of 'hate speech', stirring strife
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The Indian Prime Minister is being accused of referring to the country's 200 Muslim population as "infiltrators".
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi listens to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President JP Nadda speak during an event organized to release their party's manifesto for the upcoming national parliamentary elections in New Delhi, India, April 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File)
India's main opposition Congress party filed a complaint to the Election Commission Monday accusing Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "blatantly targeting" the country's 200 million Muslim minority in a campaign speech.
Nearly a billion people are eligible to vote in the general election that kicked off last Friday in India, with Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vying for a third term in office.
At a weekend election rally in Rajasthan, Modi claimed a previous Congress government had said that "Muslims have the first right over the nation's wealth."
He said if Congress won "it will be distributed among those who have more children. It will be distributed to the infiltrators."
"Do you think your hard-earned money should be given to infiltrators? Would you accept this?"
Modi's remarks have ignited strong criticism from political adversaries and civil society groups, accusing him of exacerbating religious tensions and propagating unfounded conspiracy theories about Muslims.
In its complaint to the Election Commission, the Congress party said the "divisive, objectionable and malicious" comments were targeted at "a particular religious community" and amounted to "blatant and direct violations of electoral laws."
They were "far worse than any ever made by a sitting Prime Minister in the history of India." the complaint stressed.
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters outside the Commission's office that the party hopes "concrete action will be taken."
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge accused Modi of engaging in "hate speech" and violating election regulations that prohibit campaigning based on "communal feelings".
Modi usually steers away from explicit references to religion -- the word "Hindu" does not appear in his BJP's 76-page election manifesto. But BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia told reporters Monday that the premier was calling "a spade a spade" and his remarks resonated with what people thought.
Modi and the BJP are widely expected to retain power in India's elections, with the results due on June 4.
Since assuming power in 2014 with a Hindu nationalist platform, the BJP has faced allegations of implementing policies and employing rhetoric that discriminates against minorities, particularly Muslims.
Reports suggest an increase in violence and persecution against Muslims, attributed to both state actions and right-wing Hindu vigilante groups. Notably, the BJP has nominated only one Muslim candidate in this election.
On Monday, voting had to be rescheduled at 11 polling stations in Manipur, a northeastern state plagued by ongoing ethnic conflicts. Incidents of violence and damage to voting machines prompted authorities to nullify the initial vote.
An election official reported at least six attempts by armed mobs to take control of polling stations in the state capital, Imphal.
The Congress party has called for a rerun at 47 polling stations in Manipur, citing booth capture and rigged election.
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