Tension flares in India after
Modi anti Muslim hate speech
amid India elections

Presstv

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing 
accusations of hate speech against Muslims after he
made controversial comments calling the community
infiltrators amidst ongoing general elections

Addressing a crowd at a rally in the western state of
Rajasthan on Sunday Modi claimed that if the
countrys main opposition party the Indian National
Congress is voted to power they will gather all your
wealth and distribute it among those who have more
children to the infiltrators an apparent reference to
Muslims

On Monday the Congress party lodged a petition
with the Election Commission of India ECI urging
them to take action against Modi for his remarks
about Muslims which the party deemed as deeply
objectionable and in violation of election
regulations

The higher the position he holds the more the obli
gation he holds to exercise restraint Unfortunately
the statement he quoted it is seriously objectionable 
Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said

We can never expect this from the PM We would
pray to him with folded hands to withdraw these
comments and clarify he added

The Congress also challenged Modi 73 to present a
single paragraph from its manifesto that addresses
the redistribution of wealth to the Muslim
community

Should your hardearned money be given to infiltrators 
Modi asked the cheering crowd in the Sunday
rally

Modis remarks against the followers of Islam
mark the first time he directly targets Muslims
Indias largest minority ever since he held office as
prime minister in 2014 as when it comes to attacking 
Muslims he usually avoids being in the limelight
and instead lets his other party members do the dirty
job

He made the comments alluding to a commitment
made in 2006 by former Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh of the Congress party where he emphasized
the importance of economically empowering the 
minorities in India

His Islamophobic speech comes amid the ongoing
general elections which kicked off on Friday where
the opposition parties are trying their best to uproot
the leader

Millions of citizens disturbed

On Monday thousands of Indian citizens penned two
letters to the ECI urging measures to be taken
against Modi

The speech has disturbed the sentiments of millions 
of Constitution respecting citizens of India
said a group in a petition to the poll panel

The speech is dangerous and a direct attack on the
Muslims of India

Another letter by the Samvidhan Bacchao Nagrik
Abhiyan save the constitution campaign signed by
more than 17400 people said that Modi had 
blatantly violated this code Model Code of Conduct
and the Representation of the People Act 1951 by
making a speech aiming at not only appealing to
communal feelings but also instigating and aggra
vating hatred in the Hindus against Muslims

The letter also told the poll panel that Modi has the
potential of tearing apart the social fabric of India
and called for a ban on his campaign as has been
done earlier for violations of this nature

Although it is being held accountable and urged for
action against Modi the ECI in its reply declined to
comment over the matter

The ECI is tasked with ensuring free and fair 
elections and it acts as a watchdog for hate speeches
and communal hatred spread by contesting leaders
during elections

Netizens took to social media and criticized the ECI
for being blindfolded against communal remarks

Rana Ayyub a wellknown Indian journalist who had
previously uncovered the involvement of Modi and
his party in the 2002 Gujarat genocide against
Muslims when he served as the Chief Minister of
Gujarat described his speech on Sunday as his
most dangerous speech

This is Prime Minister Modis most dangerous
speech a direct attack against Muslims of India
This is the man who talks about the virtues of
democracy at international platforms Ayyub said in
a post on a social media platform on Sunday

According to analysts both Modi and his Bharatiya
Janata Party have been synonymous for their anti
Muslim stance which allows them to woo the majority 
Hindu vote bank