National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah has denounced Prime Minister Narendra Modi”s “mangalsutra to Muslims” remark and said that Islam and Allah “teach us to walk together with everyone”.

During a rally in Banswara, Rajasthan, PM Modi insinuated that if the Congress were to come to power, it would redistribute wealth to Muslims, referencing former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh”s statement about the minority community”s first claim on national resources. PM Modi claimed that the Congress will give “your hard-earned money and gold, including mangalsutra to the infiltrators” and “those who have more children”.

Expressing his dismay at the Prime Minister”s comments, Farooq Abdullah, also a member of the opposition INDIA bloc, said, “Our Islam and Allah teach us to walk together with everyone. Our religion never taught us to look down upon other religions, instead always taught us to respect other religions…If a person snatches the “mangalsutra” he is not a Muslim and does not understand Islam…”

Meanwhile, PM Modi continued his tirade against the Congress, accusing the party of hatching a conspiracy to seize citizens” property and distribute it among its favoured constituents.

Speaking at a rally in Tonk, Rajasthan, PM Modi boasted that his speech had instigated fear within the Congress and its allies.

“When I came to Rajasthan the day before yesterday, I had presented some truths before the country in my 90-second speech. This has created panic in the entire Congress and INDI alliance. I had put the truth before the country that Congress is hatching a deep conspiracy to snatch your property and distribute it to its special people. I exposed their vote bank and appeasement politics. After all, why is Congress so afraid of the truth?” PM Modi said.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi condemned the Prime Minister”s stereotyping of Muslims. Speaking at an election rally in Bihar, Owaisi said he would like to conduct a “post mortem” on PM Modi’s speech in Rajasthan and fact-checked his claim about Muslim fertility rates.

“Modi said Muslims have more children. That is a lie. Fertility rate has declined in the community and, according to official data, it is 2.36 per cent. Though, admittedly, the fertility rate is lower among our Hindu brethren,” Owaisi said in the rally in Purnea district.