After Modi's 'never said Hindu or Muslim' remark, Priyanka Gandhi says 'he has been doing this for 10 years'

Campaigning in the party's stronghold Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka said: "He cannot (now) start denying speeches he has given... he has given speeches in front of the whole world. How can he suddenly turn around and say he has not said those things?"

She also accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which has been seen as making religious issues a poll platform, of practicing a "politics of religion".

This comes after PM Modi responded to his controversial remarks where he claimed the Congress will distribute the country's wealth among people with more children.

In those speeches, the Prime Minister referred to comments by his predecessor, Dr Manmohan Singh, and said, "... when Congress was in power, they said Muslims have first right on country's assets... your mangalsutra (and gold) will be distributed to those who have more children... to infiltrators".

The Prime Minister has now clarified that he referred to neither Hindus nor Muslims but poor families.

In an interview with News 18, Modi said, "I am worried how the remark about people with more children is linked to only Muslims! Why do they treat Muslim this way? It is the situation of poor families in our country.

"In whichever society or community, poor families do have more children. I have neither said Hindu or Muslim. I have said people should have children whom they can take care of. There should not be a situation where the government has to take care of their children."

Modi highlighted his 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' mantra claiming his schemes never discriminate among religions.

When asked whether the BJP will be able to attract votes from the Muslim population, Modi said, "I believe the people of my country will vote for me. I will not deserve to be in public life the day I will do Hindu and Muslim (politics). I will never do Hindu and Muslim. This is my promise."

"I talk about 100 percent saturation in my schemes. When I talk about 100 percent saturation, it means true social justice and true secularism," he said.

The Congress filed complaints with the Election Commission after the BJP filed one claiming Rahul Gandhi, had made "derisive and obnoxious utterances" against the PM.

Last month, in a significant first, both party bosses were held accountable for leaders' violating the Model Code of Conduct during campaign speeches and events.

The EC, criticised for seeming to delay acting on complaints against the Prime Minister and the BJP, said it was of the "considered view" that parties would have to take primary responsibility for the conduct of their candidates.