The Indian National Congress (INC), the primary opposition party in India, formally lodged complaints with the Election Commission of India on Monday, denouncing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks delivered during a recent campaign address. The INC accused him of making a divisive remark aimed at heightening communal tensions among the populace and expressed deep concern regarding the divisive nature of Modi’s statements, stressing the need for statesmanship and accountability in governmental authority.

Since assuming power in 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), under a Hindu nationalist agenda, has faced recurring accusations of espousing policies and rhetoric targeting marginalized communities, notably Muslims, purportedly resulting in a surge of violence and persecution.

Central to the issue is Modi’s pronouncement at a campaign rally in Banswara, Rajasthan, where he alleged that the Congress party’s manifesto advocates for redistributing wealth, specifically to members of the Muslim community. Modi further insinuated that a prospective victory for the Congress in the ongoing election would result in redistributing wealth to individuals identified as “infiltrators” and those with larger families.

“Do you deem it justifiable for your hard-earned resources to be bestowed upon infiltrators?” questioned Modi. The Congress swiftly refuted these claims, claiming that Modi’s assertions were baseless and designed to obfuscate substantive policy discussions.

Furthermore, Congress leaders deplored Modi’s purported attempt to marginalize minority groups through incendiary language, deeming such tactics antithetical to the foundational principles of secularism and pluralism enshrined within India’s constitutional framework.

The Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) and Communist Party of India (CPI), as well as about 2200 concerned citizens, have also submitted complaints to the Election Commission of India condemning Modi’s remarks.