Modi accuses opponents of being pro-Muslim, while Congress writes the electoral commission

Following the start of the general elections last week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist party have been attacking opposition rivals by claiming that they support minority Muslims. Analysts interpret this as an attempt to energize their hardline base.

In a seven-phase election, India started voting on Friday. Modi is running for a rare third consecutive term, and his campaign has so far mostly focused on his track record of development and welfare as well as his popularity.

However, Modi described Muslims as "infiltrators" who have "more children" in a speech on Sunday, tying the remark to what he claimed was an electoral strategy of the main opposition Congress party to divide Hindu wealth among Muslims.

The Congress denied having made any such pledge and asked the Election Commission to take action against Modi, who polls indicate will easily win a majority; however, pundits speculate that his party is trying to prevent voter fatigue and overconfidence.

Hilal Ahmed, a political analyst at Delhi's Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, said that Modi's contentious comments were an uncommon "deviation" from his customary approach because he seldom specifically targets Muslims.

He continued, "They came after low voter turnout in areas where the BJP had performed well in 2019."

"The low turnout just indicates that the BJP voter who is devoted has not yet shown up," Ahmed said. "It is clear that they want the devoted voter to turn out. That explains why this deviation occurred.

BJP members, including Prime Minister Amit Shah, a powerful member of Modi's cabinet, echoed and supported the remarks on the redistribution of wealth to Muslims on Monday during a campaign speech.

On Tuesday, one day after discussing the progress Muslims have made in his ten years in power, Modi repeated the assertion.

BJP members have organized protests against the killing of a Hindu woman by a Muslim man last week in the southern state of Karnataka, where half of the voters cast ballots for the second round of elections on Friday.

The incident, according to them, is an example of "love jihad," a term used by Hindu organizations to charge Muslim men of conducting a campaign that entices Hindu women to convert to Islam in exchange for marriage.

The BJP claims in Exposing

Opposition that Modi's administration has been charged with discrimination and targeting against India's 200 million Muslims, who make up the third-largest Muslim population globally.

All charges have been refuted by the government, and Modi has stated that his goal is for everyone to benefit.

When questioned about Modi's remarks from the weekend, BJP president JP Nadda told Reuters, "Stating facts and exposing the flawed strategy of the opposition is our job."

But he added that the BJP was still dedicated to its catchphrase of "betterment," stressing the changes that Modi's administration was pushing to assist Muslim women and the underprivileged in the community.

Modi's remarks on Sunday should not be interpreted as "polarising," according to a senior BJP leader who is also a member of the party's central election panel. He merely reminded voters of the Congress and its allies' "Muslim-first strategy."

He was not authorized to speak to the media, so he spoke under the condition of anonymity.

As a sign of Hindu rejuvenation, the BJP had long promised to build a grand temple dedicated to the Hindu god-king Lord Ram on a long-disputed site thought to be his birthplace. In January, Modi fulfilled this promise.

Modi mentions the temple in his campaign speeches, but he has emphasized his development and welfare record and sense of national pride more than the opposition's emphasis on unemployment, rising costs, and rural suffering in the fastest-growing major economy in the world.

Referring to the Hindu nationalism promoted by the BJP, analyst Ahmed stated, "When the campaign started, the focus was entirely on development, welfare, reaching out to marginalized people, and Hindutva came last."

"They realized after the first phase that they had to return to the basics—their own voters."