Prime Minister Narendra Modi made Islamophobic remarks in 110 speeches during the Lok Sabha elections campaign this year, according to a report published by Human Rights Watch on Wednesday.

The global human rights advocacy group analysed all 173 speeches made by Modi after the Model Code of Conduct came into force on March 16. The code, issued by the Election Commission, sets guardrails for speeches and other aspects of the polls.

“In at least 110 speeches, Modi made Islamophobic remarks apparently intended to undermine the political opposition, which he said only promoted Muslim rights, and to foster fear among the majority Hindu community through disinformation,” said Human Rights Watch.

“Modi’s 2024 electoral campaign frequently used hate speech against Muslims and other minorities,” the group added. “The leadership of Modi’s Hindu majoritarian Bharatiya Janata Party repeatedly made statements inciting discrimination, hostility, and violence against marginalized groups during [Modi’s] campaign to win his third consecutive term of office.”

The group pointed out that despite Modi’s denial of harbouring an anti-Muslim bias, he regularly stoked fear among Hindus by making false claims that “their faith, their places of worship, their wealth, their land, and the safety of girls and women in their community would be under threat from Muslims” if the Opposition INDIA bloc came to power in the general election.

The group made particular reference to Modi’s April 21 speech in Banswara, Rajasthan, where he referred to Muslims as “infiltrators” and “those who have more children”.

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Modi made similar comments on May 14 in Jharkhand’s Koderma, on May 17 in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki and on May 7 in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar, Human Rights Watch pointed out.

The group said these remarks violated India’s commitment to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibits “advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence”.

Human Rights Watch also pointed out that in several states where the BJP is in power, governments “have demolished Muslims’ homes, businesses, and places of worship without due process and carried out other unlawful practices, which have continued since the election”.

“The Indian government’s claims of plurality and being the ‘mother of democracy’ ring hollow in the face of its abusive anti-minority actions,” said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The new Modi government needs to reverse its discriminatory policies, act on violence against minorities, and ensure justice for those affected.”

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