PM Modi recently stated that people from all religious backgrounds will support him, emphasizing that he will be deemed unfit for public service the day he engages in divisive politics. This comes shortly after his controversial remarks accusing the Congress party of planning to relocate reserved benefits, such as those for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and other backward classes, to Muslims, and redistributing wealth to the minority community, causing widespread controversy and criticism.

He stated in his interview with News18 in Varanasi that, “The day I do Hindu-Muslim, I will be unworthy of public life...it is my resolve that I will not do Hindu-Muslim.” Modi shared excerpts from the interview on X when he officially submitted his nomination for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat. He clarified that during his speech in Banswara, Rajasthan, on April 21, he did not specifically mention Hindus or Muslims. Instead, he emphasized on the importance of having only as many children as a family can adequately support, to avoid situations where the government is burdened.

When asked about Muslim votes and their significance, Modi replied that he relies on the votes of all citizens, not specific communities. He highlighted his housing scheme, emphasizing that when homes are distributed, it's done without any bias based on community, caste, or religion. According to Modi, achieving 100% delivery in such initiatives represents genuine social justice and secularism. Modi made these statements shortly after the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a notice to BJP leader JP Nadda. The notice was in response to complaints filed by the Congress, Communist Party of India, and Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation regarding Modi's speech in Banswara.

Opposition leaders, led by Congress chief Mallikaarjun Kharge, criticized Modi's remarks, labeling them as "hate speech" and accusing him of diminishing the quality of political discussions.

In the notice directed to Nadda, the ECI reminded star campaigners of the need to maintain elevated standards of political dialogue and adhere strictly to the provisions outlined in the Model Code of Conduct.

In December 2006, former Prime Minister Singh stated that innovative strategies must be formulated to ensure that minority groups, especially the Muslim community, are empowered to participate fairly in the benefits of development saying “We will have to devise innovative plans to ensure that minorities, particularly the Muslim minority, are empowered to share equitably in the fruits of development. They must have the first claim on our resources.”

The Congress has accused the BJP of distorting Singh's statements, clarifying that Singh was advocating for the empowerment of marginalized communities such as scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and Muslims. The Congress also asserted that Modi's comments breached certain sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Model Code of Conduct, which are a voluntary set of guidelines for political parties during elections.