A regional political party and a local non-profit organization filed a complaint against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his recent comments which they said targeted the Muslim community in India.
The complainants called for Modi to be arrested and his election campaign to be suspended following fierce criticisms of what they described as the Indian leader’s anti-Muslim remarks.
Tensions started after the Prime Minister described the Muslim community in the country as “infiltrators” in a speech delivered to a large crowd at a rally in the western state of Rajasthan this past weekend.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader made a controversial remark, stating that once the people voted into power the opposition Indian National Congress, they would unfairly distribute wealth, particularly those who have more children. Modi pointed out that the same opposition party declared that Muslims have first right over resources in India.
The Indian leader asked the public if they wanted their hard-earned money to be given to “infiltrators, about to the Indian Muslim population, which consists of around 230 million people, and who were accused of displacing Hindus by building large families.
Several analysts said Modi’s speech could instigate hate-fuelled violence against Muslims and might suggest a change in campaign strategy.
Former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of the opposition Indian National Congress previously said the country’s traditionally marginalized communities, including religious minorities and castes that had faced historical discrimination, “particularly Muslims”, should have the first claim on the nation’s resources.
