Narendra Modi

In one of his speeches (notably during an Independence Day address) Modi openly praised the RSS as one of the world’s largest NGOs and credited it with a century of "nation-building". This was seen as a departure from more cautious references until then.

The RSS is a Hindu-nationalist organisation, and critics argue that openly aligning the prime minister with it blurs the line between constitutional neutrality and partisan ideology in a secular democracy.

Opposition leaders said the praise was an insult to freedom fighters and to the idea of a plural India because many view the RSS as divisive.

The comments sparked debate over secularism, neutrality of the PM’s office, and the role of organisations like the RSS in governance.

Modi addressed the Rajya Sabha and in his speech accused the Congress of “appeasement politics” and emphasised his government’s slogan. The opposition accused him of distorting historical facts and ignoring real issues such as unemployment and inequality.

The opposition party, the Congress, accused him of presenting a "river of lies" and "twisting history" instead of dealing with policy matters.

Critics say this kind of rhetoric is more about political posturing than substantive governance.

There were strong verbal responses from opposition MPs, claiming that the prime minister used his speech for political attacks rather than addressing issues facing ordinary people.

Modi, campaigning ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, made remarks referencing the Indian National Congress and saying that if Congress returned to power, it would “gather all your wealth and distribute it among those who have more children … they will distribute it among infiltrators.” The word “infiltrators” was widely interpreted as referring to Muslims.

A complaint was filed with the Election Commission of India alleging violation of the Model Code of Conduct for elections, because the speech targeted a religious group.

A report by Human Rights Watch found that Modi made at least 110 speeches in the campaign period containing Islamophobic content; they cited this rally as one of the examples.

Opposition parties and civil-society groups said these remarks fuel communal tensions and polarise voters along religious lines.