Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued to focus on the reservation issue as the key strategic subject in the polls and has vehemently been trying to connect the impact of reservation with villainizing the Muslim community as the sole beneficiaries of the Congress party’s divisive agenda.
Apart from his rhetoric that the Congress will prioritize the Muslim community over any other community, whether they are Dalit or OBC, in reservation matters, there are now claims that a good share of reservation enjoyed by other communities will also be curtailed to facilitate Muslims.
The PM also claimed that reservations for Muslims will extend to sports, potentially leading to an increase in the representation of Muslims in India’s cricket.
Emphasizing the need for the BJP to surpass the 400-seat mark this time at a rally in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that more seats for the BJP in the Lok Sabha would ensure that the Congress could not pursue its divisive agendas, such as deciding the cricket team based on religion, locking the Ram Temple as it did for Babri in Ayodhya, or reinstating Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The Congress’s intention is to give priority to minorities in sports as well. This means it will now decide who will be in and out of the cricket team on the basis of religion,” PM Modi said.
However, the Congress manifesto states: “We will ensure that the minorities receive their fair share of opportunities in education, healthcare, public employment, public works contracts, skill development, sports and cultural activities without discrimination.”
Highlighting historical divisions, Modi provocatively questioned the Congress's actions during India's partition in 1947, insinuating that their policies then were akin to partitioning the country on religious lines. He declared his firm stance against what he termed as "false secularism," vowing to preserve India's identity under his leadership.
The Prime Minister's speech also addressed recent allegations that the BJP's slogan "400 paar" hinted at potential constitutional amendments. Modi denied these accusations, emphasizing that his government already had substantial support through coalition alliances and dismissing claims of constitutional tampering.
Taking aim at the Congress's alleged pursuit of "vote jihad," Modi portrayed it as a threat to democracy, questioning its compatibility with the principles enshrined in the Indian Constitution. This rhetoric aimed to galvanize his supporters by framing the election as a choice between stability under his leadership or perceived chaos under opposition rule.
In a strategic move, Modi referenced statements by RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav advocating for increased reservations for Muslims, portraying it as a threat to existing reservation policies benefiting SCs, STs, and OBCs. By associating the Congress and its allies with such proposals, Modi sought to paint them as opportunistic and willing to sacrifice the interests of other marginalized communities for political gain.
Modi refrained from directly addressing promises made by his political allies, such as the Telugu Desam Party's pledge of 4% reservation for Muslims in Andhra Pradesh. This omission underscored his focus on criticizing the opposition's agenda rather than engaging with potential policy divergences within his own coalition.