The opposition accused Modi of "blatantly targeting" India's 200 million Muslim minority with comments made while addressing voters at a speech in Rajasthan on Sunday.
India is in the midst of a general election, where Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) are seeking a third term in power. Voting will continue in phases until early June.
In his speech, Modi claimed a previous government, led by the main opposition Congress party, had said: that "Muslims have the first right over the nation's wealth."
The prime minister went on to add that, if Congress won this current election, people's wealth "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 asked the crowd.
This story is from the April 23, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the April 23, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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