Modi has also accused Congress, the main party of the uneven opposition coalition competing against him, of planning to reallocate the country's wealth to Muslim families.
Hartosh Singh Bal, executive editor of news magazine The Caravan, said, “This is the first time in a long time that he has been so forthright.”
He said, “I have not seen him being so fanatical directly, usually his gesture is towards fanaticism.”
“The comments on wealth redistribution are taking aim at something from the Congress manifesto that does not exist and that is frankly quite unfortunate.”
Modi was to vote in the city of Ahmedabad in his home state of Gujarat during the third round of voting, which India conducts in phases.
Despite India's officially secular constitution, he remains widely popular a decade after coming to power, largely due to his government placing the country's majority faith at the center of its politics.
In January, the Prime Minister presided over the inauguration of a grand temple of the deity Ram, built on the site of a centuries-old mosque razed by Hindu fundamentalists decades ago.
The construction of the temple fulfilled a long-standing demand of Hindu activists and was widely celebrated across India with extensive television coverage and street parties.
Modi's brand of Hindu-nationalist politics has left India's Muslim population of more than 220 million worried about their future in the country.
The Election Commission has not sanctioned Modi for his comments despite its code of conduct barring campaigning on “communal sentiments” such as religion.
