Asia | Banyan

Narendra Modi ramps up the Muslim-baiting

Is the Indian prime minister confident, or worried?

Illustration of a politician at a podium with a flaming speech bubble above him
Illustration: Lan Truong

THE Themes used by the speaker were the usual Hindu-nationalist fare. The opposition Congress Party was planning to take away Indians’ wealth, including women’s mangalsutras (Hindu bridal ornaments), and give it to “infiltrators” who “have more children”. The identity of the fecund intruders was left in no doubt: after all, the speaker alleged, Congress had argued in the past that Muslims should have the first claim to the country’s resources.

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This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Modi under pressure”

From the May 18th 2024 edition

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