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Anti-Muslim comments rock Indian election

Anti-Muslim comments by an ally of party leader Narendra Modi have riled India's national elections.

By Ed Adamczyk

NEW DELHI, April 24 (UPI) -- Anti-Islamic remarks by an ally of Narendra Modi, favored to become India’s next leader after national elections, have raised questions about how an incoming government may relate to the country’s 176 million Muslims.

Pravin Togadia was caught on camera making the comments. He is leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad party, part of an umbrella group that includes Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.

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“We should have it in us to take the law in our own hands in an area where we are a majority, and scare (Muslims),” Togadia said, before launching into an explanation of ways to violently evict a Muslim building tenant.

Modi’s party is expected to win the Indian election, which runs for several weeks. Results will be announced May 16.

The currently-ruling Congress Party quickly condemned Togadia’s comments.

Modi has distanced himself from anti-Muslim comments in the past. However, many consider him responsible for clashes between Hindus and Muslims in his home state of Gujurat that left over 1,000 people dead, most of whom were Muslims.

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