'Modi instigating Hindus to see Muslims as infiltrators': Demand to ban his campaign

Counterview Desk

In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner & Election Commissioners, Election Commission of India ( ECI) to take strict action against Narendra Modi, a star campaigner of the Bhartiya Janata Party for his acts of violation of the Model Code of Conduct, nearly 17,500 citizens have accused him for "not only appealing to 'communal feelings' but also instigating and aggravating hatred in the Hindus against Muslims."

Floated by two civil rights groups, Watan Ke Raha Mein and Samvidhan Bacchao Nagrik Abhiyan, citing his recent election speeches, the letter said, ECI should not only censure Modi because his speech has "the potential of tearing apart the social fabric of India", but also "impose a ban on his campaign, as has been done earlier for violations of this nature."

Text:

This is to bring to your notice the latest instance of violation of the Model Code of Conduct by Shri Narendra Modi, the star campaigner of the Bhartiya Janata Party. The MCC clearly says:

“No party or candidate shall include in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic.

There shall be no appeal to caste or communal feelings for securing votes. Mosques, Churches, Temples or other places of worship shall not be used as a forum for election propaganda.”

Further, according to Section 123(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951: “Appeals by a candidate, or any other person with the consent of a candidate, to vote or refrain from voting on the ground of his religion, race, caste, community or language is a corrupt electoral practice. Section 123(3A) denounces any attempt by a candidate to promote feelings of enmity or hatred among citizens on these grounds during elections. Anyone found guilty of corrupt electoral practice can be debarred from contesting elections for a maximum period of up to six years.”

Shri Narendra Modi blatantly violated this code and the RPA, 1951 by making a speech in one of his election meetings on 22 April, 2024 at Banswara in the state of Rajasthan aiming at not only appealing to 'communal feelings' but also instigating and aggravating hatred in the Hindus against Muslims.

Kindly note the words that he used in his speech as reported by The Indian Express and other media platforms:

"Pehle jab unki sarkar thi, unhone kaha tha ki desh ki sampati par pehla adhikar Musalmano ka hai. Iska matlab, ye sampati ikatthi karke kisko baatenge? Jinke zyada bacche hain, unko baatenge, ghuspaithiyon ko baatenge. Kya aapki mehnat ki kamayi ka paisa ghuspaithiyon ko diya jayega? Aapko manzoor hai yeh? (Earlier, when they (the Congress) were in power, they had said Muslims have the first right to the wealth of the nation. This means they will distribute this wealth to those who have more children, to infiltrators. Should your hard-earned money be given to infiltrators? Do you agree to this)?"

Shri Modi is resorting to lies, which of course is not mentioned as a violation of the MCC. The previous United Progressive Alliance government led by Dr. Manmohan Singh had clearly said in 2006:

"… our collective priorities are clear: agriculture, irrigation and water resources, health, education, critical investment in rural infrastructure, and the essential public investment needs of general infrastructure, along with programmes for the upliftment of SC/STs, other backward classes, minorities and women and children. The component plans for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will need to be revitalized. We will have to devise innovative plans to ensure that minorities, particularly the Muslim minority, are empowered to share equitably in the fruits of development. They must have the first claim on resources. The Centre has a myriad other responsibilities whose demands will have to be fitted within the overall resource availability."

Nowhere does it say that Muslims would have the first right over the wealth of the nation. But Shri Modi distorted the statement and peddled a lie with a clear objective of creating fear in the Hindus that the opposition Congress Party would give the wealth of the country to Muslims.

Shri Modi equated Muslims as a population which produces more children and is infiltrators.

Nowhere does Manmohan Singh say Muslims would have first right over wealth of the nation. But Modi distorted the statement

Shri Modi repeats it:

"Ye Congress ka manifesto keh raha hai, ki woh mataon aur beheno ke sone ka hisaab karenge, uski jarthi karenge, jaanakari lenge aur phir woh sampati ko baant denge. Aur unko baatenge, jinko Manmohan Singh ji ki sarkar ne kaha tha ki sampati par pehla adhikar Musalmanon ka hai. Bhaiyon aur behno, yeh Urban Naxal ki soch, meri mataon, behno, aapka mangal sutra bhi bachne nahi denge (Congress's manifesto says they will take stock of the gold mothers and daughters have, and will distribute that wealth. Manmohan Singh's government had said Muslims have the first right to wealth. Brothers and sisters, this Urban Naxal thinking will not spare even the mangal sutras of my mothers and sisters),".

Here again Shri Modi is resorting to lies as nowhere in the election manifesto of the Congress Party is it said that it will collect information about the gold owned by Hindu women and distribute it among Muslims.

This speech of Shri Narendra Modi has gone viral and reached all parts of the country. One can imagine the impact of this speech on the minds of the people, Hindus and Muslims both. Shri Modi has violated the MCC in this election campaign even before when he said that every page of the manifesto of the Congress Party bears the imprint of the Muslim League.

You would agree that the latest speech of Shri Narendra Modi is aimed at creating tension and enmity between Hindus and Muslims and instigating Hindus to see Muslims as infiltrators and their enemies. It is a clear violation of the MCC.

We request you therefore to censure Shri Narendra Modi because his speech has the potential of tearing apart the social fabric of India and impose a ban on his campaign, as has been done earlier for violations of this nature.

---

Click here for signatories

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