NEW DELHI: The primary opposition party in India denounced Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday for using anti-Muslim remarks during his campaign speeches, which have increased worries of sectarian strife in the largest democracy in the world.
Most people in India still believe that Modi is the right person to lead the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and when the general election is over in early June, many believe the BJP will win.
In an attempt to mobilize voters, the 73-year-old premier has increased his rhetoric against India’s primary religious division since voting started last month. During campaign rallies, he called Muslims “infiltrators” and asserted that if the main opposition Congress party won, the riches of the country would be given to Muslims.
Congressman P. Chidambaram, a senior member and former Indian finance minister, claimed on Thursday that Modi was engaging in “his usual game of dividing Hindus and Muslims.” He went on, “The statements made by the Indian prime minister are being watched and analyzed by the world, and they do not bring glory to India.”
Following Modi’s suggestion that a prior Congress prime minister had prepared for a separate “Muslim budget,” Jairam Ramesh, the general secretary of the party, called Modi’s remarks “nonsensical.”
On the social media site X, which was formerly known as Twitter, he stated on Wednesday, “This is typical Modi bombast and bogusness.”
Despite India’s supposedly secular constitution, Modi has worked to bring the country’s politics more closely in line with the majority faith since he came to power ten years ago.
Although he has gained widespread popularity due to his well-cultivated image as a defender of Hinduism, many of the 200 million or more Muslims who make up the country’s minority feel insecure about their standing and fear for their future.
In a TV interview with News18 on Tuesday, Modi denied inciting religious tensions. “I will no longer be able to lead a public life the day I start talking about Hindu-Muslim divisions,” he declared.
Vote jihad
However, the next day, during a campaign event, Modi charged Congress with organizing a “vote jihad,” implying that his rivals were organizing Muslim voters to support him.
Election commission received a complaint from opposition parties on a previous speech by Prime Minister Modi last month; nevertheless, the commission has not yet imposed any fines on the leader. India’s vote code forbids sectarian campaigning.
Other members of Modi’s party have been accused of mirroring his rhetoric and unfairly attacking Muslims throughout the election.
