It was expected of him to brag about his accomplishments, which included space travel and lavish social programs. He was to reiterate that, for the majority Hindu population in India, the new Ram temple in Ayodhya signified a cultural assertion. With Mr. Modi’s hosting of the G20 conference in September of last year providing a media boost, even foreign policy was expected to impact the outcome of the vote. Opinion surveys have his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) poised for a third consecutive record-breaking landslide victory.
However, Mr. Modi’s campaign changed course early in the exhausting six-week election, employing divisive rhetoric that has prompted concerns about his strategies. He has been making accusations against the Congress, the opposition.
He has been criticizing the Congress party and the opposition of caving in to the demands of the minority Muslim population.
Among India’s population of almost 1.4 billion, 14% are Muslims. The opposition claims that the BJP has “demonised” Muslims through its social media messages, which they claim are a direct copy of Mr. Modi’s campaign.
On April 21, he stated at a rally that the opposition Congress intended to give money to “those who have many children” and “infiltrators”. Many others saw his comments to be a reference to Muslims.
