PRIME Minister Narendra Modi's remarks at a rally in Rajasthan's Banswara on Sunday have triggered a row ahead of the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections. Tearing into the Congress manifesto, the PM alleged that the Opposition party was planning to give people's hard-earned money and valuables to ghuspaithiye (infiltrators) and 'those who have more children'. Out of context, he also referred to then PM Manmohan Singh's 2006 statement that weaker sections and Muslims had the 'first claim' on the country's resources. Describing the PM's comments as 'hate speech', several Opposition parties have urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take action against him. The Congress has alleged that the remarks were divisive, malicious and aimed at a particular religious community.

The unsavoury controversy has raised the prospect of campaign speeches becoming more vicious and venomous over the next few weeks. The onus is on senior leaders of various political parties to lead by example and avoid crossing any red line. A major challenge for the ECI is to deal with every complaint and counter-complaint on merit and take decisions freely as well as fairly.

It's not uncommon for politicians to get carried away by their emotions or biases in the poll season. During an election rally in Karnataka in April 2019, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had allegedly asked why the Modi surname was common to 'thieves'. The unacceptable comment had got him into trouble as BJP MLA Purnesh Modi filed a criminal defamation case against him. Rahul had eventually lost his Lok Sabha membership, which was restored only after the Supreme Court stayed his conviction in August last year. Sounding a note of caution, the court had said: 'The alleged utterances are not in good taste. A person in public life is expected to exercise a degree of restraint while making public speeches.' PM Modi and Opposition leaders should pay heed to this sound advice and refrain from any outburst that can vitiate peace and communal harmony.