India votes in third phase of national elections as PM Modi steps up anti-Muslim rhetoric – The Journal

NEW DELHI (AP) Millions of Indian voters in 93 electoral districts cast their ballots Tuesday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched an increasingly strident election campaign, intensifying polarizing rhetoric in incendiary speeches that targeted the Muslim minority.

At recent campaign rallies, Modi has called Muslims infiltrators and said they have too many children, referencing a Hindu nationalist cliché that Muslims produce more children in an effort to outnumber the Hindus in India. He also accused the rival Indian National Congress party of plotting to plunder the wealth of the country's Hindus and redistribute it to Muslims, who make up 14% of India's population, or more than 1.4 billion people.

Tuesday polls in the third round national elections in several phases has crucial seats up for grabs in states like Karnataka, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Most polls predict a victory for Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party, which faces a broad opposition alliance led by Congress and powerful regional parties. THE staggered elections will take place until June 1 and votes will be counted on June 4.

Modi, who voted Tuesday in the western city of Ahmedabad, had launched his campaign with a focus on economic progress, promising he would make India a developed country by 2047. But in recent weeks, he and the ruling BJP sharply doubled their vote. Hindu Nationalism PlatformModi employing some of his most controversial speeches during his decade in power.

Analysts say the change in tone comes as the BJP aims to secure a large majority, or two-thirds of the 543 seats up for grabs in India's lower parliament, by consolidating the votes of the majority Hindu population, which accounts for 80%. They say Modis party is also increasing polarizing rhetoric to distract voters from broader issues, like unemployment and economic distress, that the opposition has focused on.

While India's economy is the fastest growing in the world, many people face increasing economic stress. The opposition alliance hopes to exploit this discontent by seeking to galvanize voters on issues such as high unemploymentinflation, corruption and low agricultural prices, which led to two years of farmers' protests.

The mask has fallen, and I think it was political constraints that pushed them to do this, said Ali Khan Mahmudabad, professor of political science at Ashoka University in New Delhi.

The changes in the BJP's campaign could also be a sign of anxiety over low turnout that it had not anticipated, Mahmudabad said. Voter turnout in the first two phases was slightly lower than in the same rounds in the last elections in 2019, according to official data.

In recent elections, the BJP's victories were associated with getting voters to vote, Mahmudabad said. There may be a certain weariness, a certain opposition to power or even a certain disenchantment, which has led the BJP to intensify its discourse.

Modi, in numerous speeches in recent weeks, has said women's wealth could be threatened if Congress comes to power, saying the party would take away their mangalsutra, a sacred gold chain that indicates a woman's marital status. Hindu woman, and would give it to his voters, a veiled reference to Muslims. The opposition will not stop there, he repeatedly asserted, claiming that the party was conspiring to confiscate your assets and distribute them to selected people.

Other members of Modi's party echoed his comments. A recent video posted by the BJP on Instagram was more direct. The animated campaign video, which has since been removed from the social media platform, stated that if the Congress party came to power, it would take money and wealth from non-Muslims and redistribute it to Muslims.

The Congress party and other political opponents have called Modi's remarks hate speech that could fuel religious tensions. They also filed complaints with the Election Commission of India, which oversees elections, for violating rules barring candidates from appealing to caste or communal sentiments to secure votes.

The commission can issue warnings and suspend candidates for a period of time for violating the code of conduct, but it has not issued any warnings to Modi so far.

Modi's critics say India's tradition of diversity and secularism has been under attack since the prime minister and his party came to power a decade ago. While there have long been tensions between India's majority Hindu community and Muslims, rights groups say attacks on minorities have become more brazen under Modi.

The party denies the accusation and says its policies benefit all Indians.

Mahmudabad, the political scientist, said Modis' party was counting on winning votes thanks to the fervor sparked by a Hindu temple built atop a razed mosque that Modi opened in January. Many saw this lavish spectacle as the unofficial start of his electoral campaign.

Instead, people talk about inflation, unemployment and economic distress, Mahmudabad said. So, to galvanize and consolidate their vote, the BJP raised the specter of Muslims.

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