Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his recent remarks about “infiltrators” and families with more children were referring to all poor families and not specifically Muslims. In an interview with News 18, Modi said, “I do not work for a vote bank. I believe in Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.” He added, “The day I start doing Hindu-Muslim, I will be unworthy of public life.”
Modi said that his comments on families with more children were about poverty, not religion. “Who told you that whenever one talks of people with more children, the inference is they are Muslims? This is the situation in poor families too, irrespective of their social circle,” he said. “I have said that one should have as many children as you can take care of. Don’t let a situation arise where the government has to take care of your children.”
Reflecting on the 2002 Gujarat riots, Modi stated that his image among Muslims was “tarnished” by his opponents. “This issue is not about Muslims. In my house, there are all Muslim families around me. Eid was celebrated in our house, and there were other festivals in our house. Food used to come to my place from all the Muslim families,” he recalled. “After 2002, my image was tarnished.”
When asked if Muslims would vote for him in the upcoming Lok Sabha election, Modi said, “The people of the country will vote for me.”
Modi also responded to allegations made at a rally in Rajasthan, where he accused Congress of planning to redistribute wealth, including gold and property, to those with more children. He reiterated that his statements were based on reports about Congress’s intentions.
On the same day, PM Modi filed his nomination papers for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh, seeking a third consecutive term. He was accompanied by several NDA leaders, showing a strong display of support.
Varanasi will vote in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha polls on June 1, with vote counting set for June 4.
