India’s election watchdog expresses “concern” but does not suspend Modi over “anti-Muslim” hate speech

India’s Election Commission has only gently reprimanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the main opposition Congress Party for making polarizing speeches during the campaign for the ongoing general elections. Critics who accuse the electoral commission of favoring the ruling party remain unimpressed.

At a campaign rally in the western state of Rajasthan last month, Modi told the country’s Hindus that if elected, the Congress party would “take away” their wealth and give it to the Muslim minority, sparking widespread condemnation and complaints to the poll body.

Contrary to its usual practice, the watchdog sent a notice to Mr Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and not to him personally. Still, it was the first time in India’s independent history that the commission had acknowledged a complaint against a sitting prime minister.

The same thing happened when a complaint was received against Modi’s main rival Rahul Gandhi for allegedly making “false allegations” during the election campaign. Among other things, he claimed that if the ruling party won a third term, it would amend the Indian Constitution and issue a notice to his Congress party to that effect.

Now, nearly a month later, the commission has sharply criticised Mr Modi for his campaign rhetoric, saying both his defence and that of Mr Gandhi were “untenable”.

It calls on the prime minister to maintain his decency as his party’s star campaigner in the six-week general election that is expected to give him a third term in office.

The lawsuit against Mr Modi accuses him of making divisive speeches and stoking hostilities based on religion, caste system and language.

In his speech in Rajasthan, the complaint says, Mr. Modi sought votes in the name of religion by falsely claiming that the Congress party was taking wealth away from “Hindu wives and daughters” and handing it over to Muslims he referred to the Hindu nationalist dog whistles of “invaders” and “people with more children”.

“Earlier, when they were in power, they said Muslims have the first right to the wealth of the nation,” Modi said, referring to the Congress. “That means they will distribute the wealth to those who have more children, to infiltrators. Should your hard-earned money be given to infiltrators? Are you OK with that?”

He further falsely claimed that the Congress Party’s manifesto stated that they would “take stock of the gold that mothers and daughters have and distribute this wealth”.

The Prime Minister has since tried to argue that he was not referring to Muslims in his speech, but to “poor people” in general.

Responding to the complaints against Mr Modi and Congress party leaders, the Election Commission on Wednesday expressed “concern” that campaigners had continued to make such speeches and ordered the parties “not to make any statement” which is prohibited under the Election Act.

Congress was expressly urged not to create the “false impression” that the Constitution could be “abolished or sold.”

The commission has the power to bar political leaders from election campaigns if they violate its rules. It has already taken such measures in the past. In the case of Mr. Modi or Mr. Gandhi, it has decided against it.

India is currently conducting the largest election in the world. Nearly a billion people are registered to vote in seven phases of voting on whether Mr. Modi will remain as prime minister for a rare third term.

Mr Modi’s BJP began the campaign season by claiming it would win an unprecedented 400 out of 543 seats in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament. Recent forecasts have been less convincingly in the party’s favor, although it is still widely expected to win another majority.

The counting of votes and the announcement of the results will take place on June 4th.