At a rally in the western state of Rajasthan on Sunday, Hindu nationalist Modi said that when the Congress party was in power, “they said Muslims had the first right to the country’s resources,” and that if the opposition returned to government it would pool the nation’s wealth and “distribute it to those who have more children”. “They will distribute it among infiltrators,” he continued, asking the cheering crowd: “Do you believe your hard-earned money should be given to infiltrators?” The remarks referred to a 2006 speech by then-Congress prime minister Manmohan Singh, who argued that the country’s development should be shared equally by lower castes, tribes, women and “in particular, the Muslim minority”. “They have the first claim on resources,” Singh had said. His office clarified a day later that the comments applied to all disadvantaged groups. The Congress party’s current leader, Mallikarjun Kharge, has denounced the comments as “hate speech”. “In the history of India, no prime minister has lowered the dignity of his office as much as Modi,” Kharge wrote on the social media platform Koo (formerly Twitter). The comments by the prime minister, who is seeking a third term in office, have been widely criticised for targeting Muslims and for violating electoral rules that bar candidates from engaging in any activity that aggravates existing religious tensions. While not legally binding, the code of conduct issued by India’s Election Commission prohibits candidates from appealing to “caste or communal feelings” in order to garner votes, and can result in warnings and suspensions. A spokesperson for the commission declined to comment on the issue, according to local media. Modi’s critics say India’s tradition of diversity and secularism has come under attack since his Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) came to power in 2014. The BJP has been accused of fostering religious intolerance and even violence, which the party denies, saying its policies benefit all Indians. Rights groups say attacks on minorities have become more brazen under Modi, with Muslim men being lynched by mobs on suspicion of eating or smuggling cows, an animal considered sacred in the Hindu religion. Muslim-owned businesses have been boycotted, homes and businesses have been demolished, and Muslim places of worship have been set on fire. Some have openly called for their genocide. The BJP has previously described Muslims as “infiltrators” and illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Pakistan, and several states governed by the party have cracked down on interfaith marriage, citing the myth of “love jihad”, the idea that Muslim men are converting Hindu women through marriage. Read Also: Encontrados restos mortais da maior serpente da história na Índia (Portuguese version)