India’s main opposition party accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using hate speech after he called Muslims “infiltrators” — some of his most incendiary rhetoric to date about the minority faith in a campaign rally days after the country began its weekslong general election.
Quick Read
- Accusations of Hate Speech: India’s main opposition party, Congress, has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using hate speech against Muslims, labeling them as “infiltrators” during a campaign rally in Rajasthan.
- Election Commission Complaint: Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi called the remarks objectionable and announced that the party sought action from the Election Commission of India, citing violations of the code of conduct that bars inciting religious tensions during elections.
- Backlash from Muslim Leaders: Muslim lawmaker Asaduddin Owaidi criticized Modi for perpetuating negative stereotypes about Muslims to garner votes, highlighting a pattern of divisive rhetoric from Modi.
- Context of Remarks: Modi’s comments referenced a 2006 statement by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which was aimed at empowering disadvantaged groups including Muslims, though Modi presented it in a context suggesting preferential treatment of Muslims over other Indians.
- Historical Accusations: Critics argue that under Modi’s leadership, India has seen a rise in religious intolerance and violence against minorities, particularly Muslims, with incidents of lynching and discrimination becoming more frequent.
- Electoral Implications: Despite the controversy, Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are favored to win the ongoing elections, with results expected on June 4.
- Response from Congress Party: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge denounced Modi’s comments as a degradation of the prime ministerial office and an example of hate speech.
- Regulatory Inaction Concerns: The Congress party criticized the Election Commission for not taking decisive actions against Modi and the BJP for repeated violations of electoral laws concerning the use of religion in campaigning.
- Demographic and Fertility Data: Modi also invoked a nationalist myth about Muslim population growth, despite official data showing a significant decrease in fertility rates among Muslims, closely aligning with those of Hindus in recent years.
- “Love Jihad” Laws: Modi’s party has supported laws against interfaith marriages, reinforcing baseless theories about religious conversions through marriage, contributing to an environment of religious polarization.
- Modi’s Silence: Critics point out that Modi’s lack of response to hate speech and inflammatory rhetoric by his supporters has further emboldened extreme elements within his party.
The Associated Press has the story:
India’s Modi accused of hate speech for calling Muslims ‘infiltrators’ at a rally
Newslooks- NEW DELHI (AP) —
India’s main opposition party accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using hate speech after he called Muslims “infiltrators” — some of his most incendiary rhetoric to date about the minority faith in a campaign rally days after the country began its weekslong general election.
At the rally on Sunday in the western state of Rajasthan, Modi said that when the Congress party was in government, “they said Muslims have the first right over the country’s resources.” If it returns to power, the party “will gather all your wealth and distribute it among those who have more children,” he said as the crowd applauded.
“They will distribute it among infiltrators,” he continued, saying, “Do you think your hard-earned money should be given to infiltrators?”
Abhishek Manu Singhvi, a spokesperson for Congress, called the prime minister’s remarks “deeply, deeply objectionable” and said the party on Monday had sought action from the Election Commission of India, which oversees the six-week voting period. The first votes were cast Friday.
The remarks sparked fierce criticism for peddling anti-Muslim tropes, and for breaking election rules which bar candidates from engaging in any activity that aggravates religious tensions. The Election Commission of India’s model code of conduct forbids candidates to “appeal to caste or communal feelings” to secure votes.
Asaduddin Owaidi, a Muslim lawmaker and president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen party, said on Sunday: “Modi today called Muslims infiltrators and people with many children. Since 2002 till this day, the only Modi guarantee has been to abuse Muslims and get votes.”
Critics of Modi — an avowed Hindu nationalist — say India’s tradition of diversity and secularism has come under attack since his party won power in 2014 and returned for a second term in 2019. They accuse Modi’s BJP of fostering religious intolerance and sometimes even violence. The party denies the accusation and say their policies benefit all Indians.
But rights groups say that attacks against minorities has become more brazen under Modi. Muslims have been lynched by Hindu mobs over allegations of eating beef or smuggling cows, an animal considered holy to Hindus. Muslim businesses have been boycotted, their homes and businesses have been bulldozed and places of worship set on fire. Some open calls have been made for their genocide.
Modi’s remarks on Sunday were based on a 2006 statement by then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of the Congress party. Singh said that India’s lower-castes, tribes, women and, “in particular the Muslim minority” were empowered to share in the country’s development equally.
“They must have the first claim on resources,” Singh had said. A day later, his office clarified that Singh was referring to all of the disadvantaged groups.
Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party are expected to win, according to most surveys. The results come out on June 4.
The Congress party’s president, Mallikarjun Kharge, described Modi’s comments as “hate speech.” “In the history of India, no prime minister has lowered the dignity of his post as much as Modi has,” Kharge wrote on social media platform X.
In its petition to the election commission, the party said that Modi and the BJP have repeatedly used religion, religious symbols and sentiments in their election campaign with impunity. “These actions have been further bolstered by the commission’s inaction in penalising the prime minister and the BJP for their blatant violations of electoral laws,” it said.
The commission’s code of conduct is not legally binding on its own, but it can issue notices and suspend campaigners for a certain amount of time over violations.
“We decline comment,” a spokesperson for the commission told the Press Trust of India news agency on Monday.
In his speech, Modi also referred to a Hindu nationalist myth that Muslims were overtaking the Hindu population by having more children. Hindus comprise 80% of India’s 1.4 billion population, while the country’s 200 million Muslims make up 14%. Official data shows that fertility rates among Muslims have dropped the fastest among religious groups in recent decades, from 4.4 in 1992-93 to 2.3 between 2019-21, just a bit higher than Hindus at 1.94.
Modi’s BJP has previously referred to Muslims as infiltrators and cast them as illegal migrants who crossed into India from Bangladesh and Pakistan. Several states run by the BJP have also made laws that restrict interfaith marriage, citing the myth of “ love jihad,” an unproven conspiracy theory that claims Muslim men use marriage to convert Hindu women.
Through it all, Modi has maintained a conspicuous silence, which critics say has emboldened some of his most extreme supporters and enabled more hate speech against Muslims.
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