Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said nobody should play politics on the basis of caste and religion. Speaking at a rally in Fatehpur, Modi said everybody in Uttar Pradesh felt they were being discriminated against irrespective of their caste or religion, NDTV reported. Dalits were complaining about being given less preference than Other Backward Classes, “who in turn point fingers towards Muslims and Yadavs, while Yadavs say that only the family people get the benefits”, Modi claimed at the rally.

“Gaon me kabristan banta hai to shamshaan bhi banna chahiye; Ramzan me bijli ati hai to Diwali me bhi ani chahiye; Bhedbhav nhi hona chahiye [If a graveyard is made in a village, it should also have a cremation ground; if a village gets electricity during Ramzan, it should also get the same during Diwali; there should be no discrimination],” Modi said, according to ANI. Accusing the Samajwadi Party government in the state of preferrential treatment to win elections, the prime minister urged the public to vote for his Bharatiya Janata Party in the ongoing Assembly polls.

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“We want to provide free gas connections to rural households; We want them to have access to clean fuel,” Modi said. A BJP government in the state will ensure law and order and look after the interests of farmers, he said. Criticising Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Modi said people were being forced to go to the Supreme Court for justice. “The SP is least concerned about improving the law and order situation in UP,” he said, adding that the party had “insulted” Ram Manohar Lohia’s ideals by allying with the Congress.

Modi’s rally came on a day when 69 constituencies went to the polls in the third phase of state elections. More than 61.16% people came out to vote on Sunday. The key areas in play are Kannauj, Etawah, Unnao, Lucknow and Kanpur. Voting began at 7 am in 12 districts of central Uttar Pradesh.