(CNN) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed opposition parties on Sunday for misleading the public and inciting protest against a new citizenship law that critics claim discriminates against Muslims.

Modi was addressing a crowd of hundreds of supporters in New Delhi to kick off the campaign for the Delhi Assembly election in 2020.

The speech came after 22 people died in nationwide protests against the controversial new law that parliament cleared on December 11.

The Prime Minister repeated his often-used phrase "unity in diversity is India's character." He blamed Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party for a number of issues, including poor transport and water conditions, before speaking about the contested Citizenship Amendment Act.

"You have seen how these people are pushing their own interests," he said. "The statements given, the false videos, inciting, people sitting at a high level have committed the crime of spreading confusion and fire by putting it on social media."

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