Opponents tarnished my image among Muslims after 2002: PM Modi

In response, the Prime Minister said that he has had many Muslim friends over the years and suggested that there is a mindset that's been created against him among the people belonging to the community.

"This issue is not about Muslims. No matter how much an individual Muslim may support me, there is an ideological view that dictates them ... and they take their decisions based on that," he said.

PM Modi recalled that while growing up in Gujarat, several Muslim families used to live in his neighbourhood.

"We used to celebrate Eid ... in fact, on Eid, food used to come to our house from all Muslim families. During Muharram procession, we used to pass under the Tazia, we were taught all these things while growing up," he said.

PM Modi lamented that his image was spoiled by his opponents after the Godhra riots in 2002 and recalled several instances to the contrary.

"After 2002, my image was tarnished post-Godhra. I tried to get to the depth of this. I held a training camp of our youth workers and we carried out a survey at Ahmedabad's Manek chowk, where all traders are Muslims and all buyers are Hindus. It used to be very crowded all the time.

"Our workers used to ask people there - how did their Diwali go? They used to reply: 'It's very good'. And whenever they took my name, nearly 90% of the shopkeepers used to say that they won't hear anything against Modi because their kids were finally going to school ever since he became the CM [of Gujarat]. Their mothers were happy that their kids were on the right path due to me," Modi said.

"Second, a Muslim woman came to meet me from Muslim-dominated Juhapura and congratulated me. She lauded me for cutting illegal electricity cables in her neighbourhood ... she said 'you have one power minister in the government, but our area has power ministers in every locality ... these people used to charge us money in exchange for electritcy. They used to steal electricity from the govenrment and sell it to us'," Modi said.

He said while he was lauded by the people for improving their lives, the newspapers back them accused him of committing atrocities.

"What I did actually benefited them. And there are many such incidents in my life ... but I never do any marketing," he told News18.

On being asked why he allegedly referred to Muslims as "infilitrators" and "those with more children" in his recent poll speech, PM Modi clarified that he never targeted any particular community.

"I am surprised why people tie such remarks to Muslims. Why such injustice towards Muslims? In our country, poor families have more kids. They are unable to send their kids to school. In any society, poor people have more kids," he said.

He added: "I never referred to Hindus or Muslims specifically ... I said that people should give birth to kids according to their means and not rely on government for assistance."

Asked whether Muslims will vote for him in the elections, PM Modi said that he believes that it's the people of India who will vote for him and rejected the idea of "Hindu-Muslim" politics.

"The day I indulge in 'Hindu-Muslim' politics, I won't be eligible to stay in public life ... I speak about 100% delivery. If there are 200 villages in a country - there is no discrimination based on caste, creed or religion. The benefits should reach all," he said.