BJP lost at least 20 constituencies where Modi openly targeted Muslims in campaign speeches

The recently concluded seven-phase general elections held over two months saw the BJP carry out a campaign that was unprecedented in terms of the use of anti-Muslim narratives and misinformation. While the election commission came under severe public criticism for failing to act, BJP leaders, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, openly targeted Muslims in speech after speech.

According to a report by The Quint, the BJP and NDA lost nearly 50% of the seats in constituencies where Prime Minister Narendra Modi held rallies. To be more specific, Modi campaigned in 164 constituencies, and the BJP lost 77 of those seats.

Alt News found that among the constituencies where PM Modi made communal speeches targeting the Muslim community, the BJP had lost at least 20. In these places, Modi targeted Muslims either directly or indirectly, using terms like ‘ghuspethiyon’, ‘jinke zyada bachche hote hain’, ‘vote jihad karne waale’, ‘khaas jamaat’, and the Opposition’s ‘vote bank’. In all of these places, he talked about a nexus between the Opposition and the Muslims which he said would harm the majority in some way or the other. On several occasions, he claimed that the Opposition, if voted to power, would overturn the Supreme Court verdict on Ram Temple and put a ‘Babri taala‘ on it. One one occasion he mentioned the Right Wing conspiracy theory ‘Love Jihad’.

Banswara, Rajasthan: BJP lost by 2.47 Lakh votes

In Rajasthan’s Banswara, PM Modi on April 21 delivered one of the most inflammatory speeches of the entire campaign. He referred to Muslims as ‘infiltrators’ and ‘those who produce more children’. He also indulged in fear-mongering by claiming that Congress would confiscate the wealth of non-Muslims and redistribute it among Muslims. Major global media outlets condemned the anti-Muslim pitch in the speech.

Modi said, “When they (the Congress) were in power, they said that Muslims had the first right to the properties of the state. This means that they would collect these properties and give them to the ones who have more kids (insinuating Muslims). They will give it to the ghuspethiyon (infiltrators). Do you want to give away your hard-earned money to the intruders? This is what the Congress manifesto says — the amount of gold owned by our mothers and daughters will be measured, collected and distributed. They will distribute this wealth among those… the Manmohan Singh government had said Muslims had the first right to the properties. These urban naxals will not even spare the mothers and sisters or their Mangalsutra. They will go that far.” Alt News reported on how this speech by the head of the state was a textbook example of hate speech. This same anti-Muslim jibe was later picked up by several other BJP leaders in their speeches.

BJP, however, lost the Banswara seat by a whopping 2.47 Lakh votes to Congress-backed Bharat Adivasi Party candidate Raj Kumar Roat.

Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh: BJP Lost by 2.15 Lakh Votes

During a public meeting in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh on May 17, Modi reiterated the claims about a Congress-Muslim nexus made in his earlier speeches. He accused Congress of planning to take away reservations for SC/ST/OBCs to introduce a Muslim quota and redistribute the wealth of the majority community among Muslims. He also stated that the Opposition would overturn the Supreme Court verdict on the Ram Mandir and destroy the temple. He praised UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s ‘bulldozer justice’ model. Alt News had documented this speech in detail.

Modi said: “If SP or Congress come to power, they will send Ram Lalla back to the tent and will run a bulldozer on the temple. Is this what you want to learn from Yogi ji? Take tuitions from Yogi ji where to use the bulldozer and where not to…” He further adds, “Congress prince (referring to Rahul Gandhi) says that they will do an x-ray of your earnings. This means that they will check what is in your locker, how much land, jewellery, gold, and silver you own, and where your Mangalsutra is, they want to run a ‘loot’! They are saying they will take away what you have and give it to those who don’t have it. It will be given away to those who will do ‘vote jihad’ (alluding to the controversial remarks by Samajwadi Party leader Maria Alam Khan).”

BJP lost the Barabanki seat to Congress’ Tanuj Punia by a margin of 2.15 Lakh.

Barasat, West Bengal: BJP Lost by 1.14 Lakh Votes

On May 28, PM Modi addressed a rally in Barasat, West Bengal, where he reiterated his claims about the Opposition’s nexus with the Muslim community. He stated that the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) cared only for the appeasement of their ‘vote bank’ or those who did ‘vote jihad’, referring to the Muslim community. PM Modi said, “TMC and INDI bloc do not care about your Vikas (advancement), their only priority is appeasement of their ‘vote bank’… In Bengal, OBCs have been duped… TMC has looted the rights of the OBCs which were given to them as per the Constitution by Babasaheb Ambedkar and the country’s parliament to help those who do ‘vote jihad“.

BJP lost the Barasat seat by a 1.14 Lakh margin to TMC’s Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.

Mathurapur, West Bengal: BJP Lost by 2 Lakh Votes

In his public address at Mathurapur Lok Sabha constituency, West Bengal, on May 29, PM Modi repeated the claims he made in Barasat about the TMC looting the reservations meant for Dalits and backward classes for appeasement. He further used the term ghuspethi (infiltrator) and said the TMC was opposing the CAA because it wanted to accommodate infiltrators in Bengal. Modi said, “Ram Mandir is a place for our faith. But TMC calls it impure… Now TMC is openly attacking the Constitution for appeasement. Our Constitution grants reservations to Dalits and backward classes, but in Bengal, there is a loot over those reservations… Today these infiltrators are snatching the opportunities meant for the youth of Bengal. They are taking up your land and properties… The demography near the borders of Bengal has changed significantly. Why did they lie so much about the CAA? Why are they opposing it? But they want to accommodate illegal infiltrators in Bengal“.

BJP candidate Ashok Purkait lost the Mathurapur seat to TMC candidate Bapi Haldar by a 2 Lakh margin.

Jhargram, West Bengal: BJP Lost by 1.74 Lakh Votes

On May 20, PM Modi delivered a speech in Jhargram, West Bengal, where he yet again used the term ‘ghuspethi’ and said that the Congress would give away everyone’s wealth to those who did ‘vote jihad’. Here is the relevant part from his speech:

“Riots have become common in Bengal. There is an effort to erase the identities of Adivasi communities. But TMC is only concerned about its ‘vote bank’. They are accommodating ghuspethiyon (infiltrators) here, near the borders the population of the people of Bengal is reducing… TMC and Congress are trying to make it legal for infiltrators to take up space. Congress is saying they will do an x-ray of everyone’s property and then they will give away your money and land to those who do ‘vote jihad’, their vote bank“.

The BJP lost the Jhargram seat to TMC by a 1.74 Lakh vote margin.

Medinipur, West Bengal: BJP Lost by 27,000 Votes

Speaking at a pre-poll rally at the Medinipur LS constituency in West Bengal on May 19, PM Modi reiterated that due to TMC’s appeasement politics, Bengal’s demography had changed, he also used the term ‘vote jihad’ and ghuspethi. PM Modi said, “These people (referring to TMC) will abuse those who take Ram’s name, won’t allow them to celebrate Ram Navami and will appeal for ‘vote jihad’ against Modi. This is the truth about TMC and INDI gathbandhan. A TMC government that kneels before vote bank politics does not deserve even a single vote from you. TMC’s appeasement has made the demography of Bengal unstable… TMC refers to people from other states as outsiders but they find illegal ghuspethi (infiltrators) to be their own.”

BJP candidate Agnimitra Paul lost the Medinipur seat to TMC’s June Maliah. This was an LS constituency held by the BJP. In 2019, BJP’s Dilip Ghosh had won the seat by 89,000 votes.

Howrah, West Bengal: BJP Lost by 1.69 Lakh Votes

On May 12, PM Modi addressed a public meeting in Howrah, West Bengal, where he repeated the claim that Congress would distribute the wealth of non-Muslims to those who did ‘vote jihad’ for the INDIA bloc. He also stated that Congress would take away a chunk of SC, ST and OBC reservations and give it to the Muslim community. Modi said, “TMC and Congress are competing in terms of appeasement. Congress’ shehzade (prince — referring to Rahul Gandhi) wants to make an inquiry about everyone’s wealth.. they will distribute your income and land to those who do ‘vote jihad’ for INDI alliance… Congress is also planning to give away the reservations for SC/ST/OBC to Muslims“.

BJP lost the seat to TMC’s Prasun Banerjee by a 1.69 Lakh vote margin.

Hooghly, West Bengal: BJP Lost by 76,000 Votes

Addressing a meeting in Hooghly, West Bengal, on May 12, PM Modi made statements to project that the ruling party in West Bengal TMC and other parties in the INDIA bloc such as Congress were anti-Hindu. PM Modi said, “The world takes inspiration from Ram Krishna Paramhans and Lahiri Mahasaya but parties like TMC and Congress are so stubborn about their appeasement that they do not care about your emotions… These people are so hungry for votes, so hungry for power; they are even infuriated by the construction of the Ram Temple… They have rejected the Ram Temple too… The party that used to speak of “Maa, Maati, Manush” is now disrespecting Bengal for the sake of vote bank politics and dishonouring its own heritage.”

BJP’s Locket Chatterjee lost the Hooghly seat by 76,000 votes to TMC candidate Rachna Banerjee.

Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan: BJP Lost by 64,000 Votes

In Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, on April 23, Modi claimed that the Congress was planning to give away the SC/ST quota to the Muslim community and repeated his claim that Congress would take away the wealth of non-Muslims and give it away to the Muslim community. This speech was delivered a day after his inflammatory Banswara address created a row in political circles.

Modi stated, “2-3 days back I exposed Congress’ vote bank politics and appeasement politics (referring to his Banswara speech of April 21)… They have mentioned in their manifesto that they will survey your property. They will survey the stree dhan that our mothers and sisters possess, including their mangalsutras. They will do an x-ray of your property and then they will take away all your extra wealth and distribute it… Manmohan Singh ji had given a speech that Muslims have the first right over the country’s resources, I was present there as a CM and this was not a one-off instance, Congress’ intentions have always been in favour of appeasement and ‘vote bank’ politics… When Congress and INDI alliance were in power they tried to provide reservations to their khaas jamaat (special groups, referring to the Muslim community) from the reservations meant for Dalits and the backward classes for ‘vote bank’ politics, this is absolutely against the Constitution“.

BJP lost this seat by a 64,000 vote margin to Congress candidate Harish Chandra Meena.

Ghosi, Uttar Pradesh: BJP Lost by 1.62 Lakh Votes

Addressing a crowd in Ghosi, Uttar Pradesh on May 26, Narendra Modi said that the Opposition was trying to make the majority community of the country ‘second-class citizens’. He also repeated his claim that the INDIA bloc would change the Constitution and introduce reservations based on religion. He also claimed that the Opposition was planning to end SC, ST and OBC reservations and give all of it to the Muslims.

PM Modi said, “When everyone in the society is not united then you will be distracted from real issues. Then INDI-waalen will execute what they’ve been conspiring… They will change the Constitution and write on it that reservations will be provided on the basis of religion. Secondly, they will end the reservations given to the SC, ST, OBC and extreme backward classes and lastly, they will give the entirety of the reservations based on religion to the Muslims. Today, SP, Congress and INDI waalon‘s ‘vote bank’ politics have fallen here. They want to make the majority community in the country second-class citizens“.

BJP lost the Ghosi seat to Samajwadi Party’s Rajeev Rai by a 1.62 Lakh vote margin.

Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh: BJP Lost by 1.24 Lakh Votes

At his Ghazipur address on May 25, PM Modi repeated his claims that the Opposition was planning to take away the reservations for the backward classes. He cited the example of Karnataka where Muslims had been granted OBC status which, he claimed, was snatched from the majority community. The Prime Minister added that in West Bengal all reservations had been granted to the Muslims and infiltrators. He said that SP, Congress and TMC were all together looting the reservations from the SC, ST and OBC communities. Modi also claimed that the Congress was planning to put a lock on the Ram Temple. Relevant parts of his speech can be heard here.

BJP lost the Ghazipur seat to SP candidate Afzal Ansari by a 1.24 Lakh margin.

Basti, Uttar Pradesh: BJP Lost by 1 Lakh Votes

In his public address in Basti LS constituency of Uttar Pradesh on April 22, Narendra Modi repeated his claim that the INDIA bloc would overturn the Supreme Court verdict on Ram Temple and put a ‘Babri lock’ on the temple. He also said that the Opposition would take away reservations for Dalits and backward classes and introduce reservations based on religion to give to the Muslims. The relevant part of PM Modi’s speech can be heard here.

BJP lost the Basti seat to SP’s Ram Prasad Chaudhary by a 1 Lakh margin.

Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh: BJP Lost by 58,000 Votes

Speaking at a rally in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh on May 21, PM Modi portrayed the Opposition as anti-Hindu. He said, “During SP and Congress regime, everything at Kumbh used to be disorganised. People would die. Do you know why? Because they care more about that ‘vote bank’ than Kumbh. If they are seen doing too much for the Kumbh, their vote bank might take offence… These people have rejected Ram Mandir, they refer to Sanatan as Dengue, Malaria. Can you expect them to properly organize next year’s Kumbh?”.

BJP lost the seat in Allahabad to Congress candidate Ujjwal Raman Singh by a 58,000 vote margin.

Sonipat, Haryana: BJP Lost by 22,000 Votes

In Sonipat, Modi called the INDIA bloc ‘INDI Jamaat’ and reiterated that the Congress manifesto was the same as that of the Muslim League. He said, “Everything Congress does is driven by appeasement. Their entire manifesto mirrors that of the Muslim League. They plan to conduct an x-ray of everyone’s property, checking how much land and jewellery you have, including your Mangalsutra. Any wealth they deem excess will be redistributed to those who engage in ‘vote jihad’“. PM Modi also repeated the claim that Congress would give away reservations belonging to the SC/ST/OBC communities to the Muslims.

BJP lost the Sonipat seat to Congress’ Satpal Brahamchari by close to 22000 votes.

Ambala, Haryana: BJP Lost by 49,000 Votes

At a public meeting in Ambala, Haryana, on May 18, PM Modi repeated the claim that the Congress would take away reservations for the SC/ST/OBC and introduce quota based on religion. The relevant part of his speech can be heard here.

BJP lost the Ambala seat to Congress’ Varun Chaudhry by a 49,000 vote margin.

Jalandhar, Punjab: BJP Lost by 1.75 Lakh Votes

Out of the 13 seats in Punjab, BJP couldn’t secure a single seat. Here, too, Narendra Modi held several public meetings including in Jalandhar where he indulged in his usual communal rhetoric.

In Jalandhar, Modi blamed Congress for the partition of the country, stating, “Congress has never seen Punjab as more than a piece of land. They divided it in 1947 to ensure their family could form the government… Can anyone who believes in Guru Nanak do such a thing?” He further accused Congress of having their own people to write history books that prominently feature their family (referring to the Nehru-Gandhi family) and the Mughals, while neglecting the sacrifices of those from Punjab to avoid upsetting their ‘vote bank.’

These statements aimed at pitting the Sikh community against the Muslims.

The BJP failed to win a single seat in the state. In Jalandhar, Congress candidate Charanjit Singh Channi beat BJP’s Sushil Kumar Rinku by a 1.75 Lakh vote margin.

Dumka, Jharkhand: BJP Lost by 22,500 votes

At Dumka, Modi legitimized the conspiracy theory of ‘Love Jihad‘ and claimed that it had started in Jharkhand. ‘Love Jihad’ is a Right-wing hypothesis which claims that Muslim men trap Hindu women into romantic relationships to convert them to Islam.

Modi also said that the JMM patronised ‘infiltrators’ who were occupying land belonging to the tribal community and that the increase in the population of ‘infiltrators’ posed a threat to tribal women.

PM Modi said: “Jharkhand is now dealing with a huge issue of ghuspethi (infiltrators), especially, the Santhal community is the most affected by this issue. Due to this, in several areas the population of the Adivasi communities is going down and the population of ghuspethi is increasing. They are taking up lands that belong to Adivasis. Our Adivasi daughters have come under the target of ghuspethiyon or not? Their safety has come under danger or not? Their life is in danger or not? Daughters are being killed by being cut into 50 pieces. Some Adivasi daughters are being burned alive, and the tongues of others are being pulled out. Who are these people targeting Adivasi daughters? Why is the JMM government nurturing them? And just now, my colleagues were telling me that the term ‘Love Jihad’ first emerged in Jharkhand. It was coined by the people of Jharkhand.”

While BJP won the majority of seats from Jharkhand, the one where Narendra Modi openly made communal statements was not one of them. BJP lost the Dumka seat to JMM candidate Nalin Soren by a 22,500 vote margin.

Patliputra, Bihar: BJP Lost by 85,000 Votes

At a public meeting in Patliputra, Bihar, Modi delivered a speech which was condemned widely. Labelling the Opposition as casteist and communal, he accused them of attempting to take away the reservations provided to SC, ST, and OBC communities to give them to their ‘vote bank’ who engaged in ‘vote jihad.’ He added that if the Opposition wanted, they could become slaves to their ‘vote bank’ and perform mujra for them.

Bihar is another state where the BJP and its allies won the majority of the seats. However, the BJP lost the Patliputra seat to RJD candidate Misha Bharti by 85,000 votes.

Banaskantha, Gujarat: BJP Lost by 30,000 Votes

In Banaskantha of Gujarat, Narendra Modi reiterated that the Congress would take away the wealth of the non-Muslims and distribute it to the Muslim community. He repeated that the Opposition was eyeing the reservations for SC/ST/OBCs and would be giving it to the Muslim community.

While in Banswara, Modi had said that the Congress would take away the Mangalsutra of the Hindu women and give it to the Muslims, here he said that if one had two buffaloes, Congress would take away one, if they were voted to power.

Out of the 26 seats in Gujarat, BJP won 25. Congress’s Geniben Thakor won the Banaskantha seat by a vote margin of 30,406.

Nandurbar, Maharashtra: BJP Lost by 1.59 Lakh Votes

At a public meeting in Nandurbar, Maharashtra, Narendra Modi repeated the claim that the Opposition would take away the rights of the Dalits and reservations and give them to their ‘vote bank’. Nandurbar is a tribal-dominated constituency. Modi also accused Congress of conspiring to “erase the Hindu faith”.

Congress candidate Gowaal Kagada Padavi won the seat by a 1.59 Lakh vote margin.

Alt News had documented communal speeches by PM Modi while campaigning in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh and Bhiwani, Haryana. The BJP won these two seats.

Dhar, Madhya Pradesh: BJP Won by 2.18 Lakh Votes

Two weeks after his speech in Banswara, Modi addressed a rally in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, on May 7. Here, he urged voters to support the BJP, stating they needed 400 seats to prevent Congress from putting a ‘Babri lock’ on the Ayodhya Ram Temple. He accused Congress of being so deep into appeasement politics that they might even claim their ‘vote bank’ had the first right to life.

PM Modi said, “…Modi needs 400 seats so that the Congress does not reimplement Article 370 on Kashmir. Modi needs 400 seats so that the Congress does not put a ‘Babri lock’ on the Ayodhya Ram Temple…” He added, “Congress shall provide a quota based on religion in government contracts. They would also prefer minority communities to others in sports. They will be deciding who will be selected for the cricket team on the basis of religion. I want to ask Congress today, if this was your intention all along why did you break apart the country into three parts in 1947? You should’ve declared the country as Pakistan back in 1947 and removed the existence of India”. Alt News reported that this speech was in a clear violation of the Model Code of Conduct, however, it did not prompt any action from the Election Commission of India.

BJP won all 29 seats in Madhya Pradesh, including Dhar, where its candidate Savitri Thakur won by a 2.18 Lakh vote margin.

Bhiwani-Mahendragarh, Haryana: BJP Won by 41,000 Votes

Just a day after the Election Commission had written to BJP president J P Nadda asking the party’s star campaigners to avoid inciting communal tension, Modi delivered a communally charged speech in Bhiwani-Mahendragarh on May 23. He referred to the INDIA bloc as ‘Indi Jamaat’, aligning with BJP’s narrative of Congress’s Muslim appeasement. Modi claimed Congress would introduce Muslim reservations by taking quotas from SCs, STs, and OBCs. He claimed that Congress would arrest people in Haryana for mentioning the Hindu deity Ram. He also used the term ghuspethiyon in his speech.

Modi said, “Congress and the INDI-waalon have a big vote bank in the country. These people divided the country for their vote bank politics. One Bharat and two Muslim countries. Now the INDI people are claiming that the resources of the country that remains after the partition should also go to the Muslims. These people will snatch the reservation constitutionally meant for the SCs, STs, OBCs and give it to the ones who do Vote Jihad.” He adds, “In Bengal too, the conspiracy of the INDI jamaat against SC, ST, and OBC, and their anti-reservation mentality, has been exposed. Overnight, they gave OBC certificates to Muslims. The reservations that OBCs deserve were distributed among Muslims and ghuspethiyon.”

BJP candidate Dharambir Singh won the seat in Bhiwani-Mahendragarh by a 41,510 vote margin.

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