PM in damage control mode?

Bengaluru/New Delhi, NT Bureau: Prime Minister Narendra Modi denied calling Muslims as those who bear more children and infiltrators, adding that if he resorted to communal rhetoric, he would be unworthy of public office.

However, he is on record making these comments in his election speech in Banswara, Rajasthan on April 21.

Modi made the remarks contradicting his own speech in an exclusive interview to News 18 news channel on Tuesday.

“I’m surprised. Who told you this? Why do you associate Muslims with having more children? Why are you unjust towards Muslims? In our country, the same circumstances persist among the poor. They are not able to educate their children. Regardless of the community one belongs to, wherever there is poverty, there are more children as well,” Modi said

When their (Congress’) government was in power, they said Muslims had the first right on the property of the country. This means they will collect this property and distribute it to whom? They will distribute it to those who have more children, to infiltrators. – Modi in Rajasthan on April 26

“I never mentioned Hindus or Muslims. I said have as many as children as you can take care of adequately. Don’t make it so that the government has to help raise your children,” he added.

When questioned about whether Muslims would vote for the BJP, he avoided mentioning the community but added that the people of the country would indeed vote for him.

“The day I do ‘Hindu-Muslim’, that is the day I won’t be worthy of public life. I won’t do ‘Hindu-Muslim’. This is my resolution,” the PM said, adding that his schemes were reaching all religious communities.