Modi called Muslims "spies" and called not to spend budget money on them

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the 202 million Muslims living in the country "spies" and called not to divide the "wealth of the nation" among them. The opposition accused him of "inciting hatred" and violating election rules.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Muslims "spies" and called on them not to divide the "wealth of the nation" among them. According to him, the previous government led by the opposition party Indian National Congress (INC) did exactly that.

"Do you think you should give your hard-earned money to spies? Do you agree with that?" the Indian leader addressed the crowd, saying that if the INC wins the election, "more money will be distributed to [Muslim] children."

Representatives of the ruling nationalist party often criticize Muslims for their high birth rates, making false predictions that the Muslim population in India will outnumber the Hindu majority in the future.

BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia refused to apologise, saying Modi's words reflected people's opinions and that he was "calling a spade a spade".

These statements of the Prime Minister caused a sharp reaction of his political opponents and the entire civil society. The opposition has accused Modi of inciting religious tensions and spreading false conspiracy theories about Muslims.

For information, the number of Muslims in India is 202 million or 14.4% of the country's population.