POBNEWS24, Dhaka, May 1, 2024 : Narendra Modi is fighting to become the Prime Minister of India for the third time in a row. One thing reflected in his political rise is that India was freed from the shackles of colonialism and came close to attaining the status of a confident and superpower. There are profound deviations, however. Religious persecution and Islamophobia increased sharply during his time. Hindu-Muslim tension is increasing around the ongoing elections. Accordig to a American media report.
Saba Nakhvi, author of the book ‘The Saffron Storm: From Vajpayee to Modi’, told media that Prime Minister Modi is positioning himself as the head of the political system as well as a high priest in his bid for a third term as prime minister. He has done something that has never happened before among all our Prime Ministers. He deliberately developed a ‘ritual of religious prayer’ of his personality.Akash Jaswal, a shopkeeper in Varanasi, told media that many people think Modi is God. We have never had a Prime Minister like Modi. He made a great sacrifice for India, for us. We want him to be PM forever. According to Varanasi BJP leader Dilip Patel, Modi represents India’s future. India today is strong, capable and self-reliant under his leadership.
Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2002 when violence broke out in Gujarat. According to official figures, more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in the riots. Critics accuse Modi of complicity in violence. But he strongly denied these allegations. He was re-elected with a large majority a few months after the violence. But sectarian polarization has deeply divided the nation, which persists even today.
Political scientist Christophe Jaffrelot said the incident in Gujarat made Hindu nationalists more confident. BJP won the 2014 Lok Sabha elections by a large margin. After Modi became Prime Minister, his administration improved the country’s transport network, built new power plants and marine projects, and strengthened the country’s military capabilities. So that India has prospered on the world stage. But according to some observers, there is also a troubling ‘pattern’.
He built the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on the site of the destroyed Babri Masjid. That revived painful memories of the 1992 bloodshed for many Muslims, but brought a sense of pride to millions of Hindu devotees. This divide can also be seen on the streets of Delhi. A rickshaw driver sitting outside the famous Jama Masjid told media that there are a lot of fights between Hindus and Muslims these days. We all know why.
Modi is widely expected to win the upcoming election comfortably, although some analysts say they have genuine fears for the future of the country’s democracy. Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay said, I can definitely see the deterioration of the quality of democracy in the country. I see greater insecurity and marginalization of Muslims in India. It’s not a very bright picture. But this is probably the path that India is going to choose.
