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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended the citizenship law this Sunday in New Delhi before a conquered crowd. He assured in particular that it did not target the Muslim community. PRAKASH SINGH / AFP

At a major political rally that marks the start of the campaign for regional elections in New Delhi, the Prime Minister of India defended the controversial new citizenship law on Sunday.

From our correspondent in New Delhi, Antoine Guinard

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed this Sunday to several thousand of his supporters in the center of the Indian capital. He notably defended the controversial citizenship law against which hundreds of thousands of Indians have been protesting for almost two weeks. In front of a crowd conquered in advance, he notably accused the opposition of spreading lies.

Addressing a huge rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi. Watch. https://t.co/Rqi1xduU5T

Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 22, 2019

"Muslim youth manipulated by the opposition"

" We are not violating the rights of any citizen! "Narendra Modi launched before the human tide of sympathizers who came to attend the rally in the middle of the day. The Indian Prime Minister assured that the two new citizenship laws defended by his nationalist Hindu party were not aimed at the Muslim community.

Gautam Chauhan, present at the fervent rally in support of Narendra Modi, echoes the Prime Minister's words. “ Muslim youth have been manipulated by the opposition. Today, Modi explained that these new laws were intended to give nationality and never to withdraw it! , he explains.

It is a little people, a community which is due to the wall and which this time comes out of its hinges, but it should especially not be considered that the Muslim community is the only one to go out on the street.

Christophe Jaffrelot, specialist in India and Pakistan and director of research at CERI Sciences Po 12/22/2019 - by Vincent Souriau Listen

Narendra Modi does not back down

Vijender Chaudhury, an optician, came to attend the rally, scarf around the neck and in the color of the BJP, the party of Narendra Modi . He recalls that the national register of citizens, another disputed law on citizenship that the government has set up in Assam (State in the east of the country, editor's note) and wants to establish throughout the territory, is not d and therefore there is no reason to oppose it.

" The Indian government is not ready to do anything with this register of citizens, it remains a plan for the future, at this time ", relativizes Vijender Chaudhury.

Narendra Modi and the BJP are not shrinking from the wave of protests that have been shaking India for two weeks. If he excels in the art of addressing his sympathizers, the Prime Minister has still not given a press conference, despite the flare-up of violence since the adoption of this law.

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