The holy city of Varanasi, the key point in the Indian elections

India is waiting to know if Narendra Modi, candidate of the opposition and Hindu nationalist, Bharatiya Janata Party, received permission to submit their campaign in Varanasi, the most sacred city of Hinduism. Path to the final day of voting, on 12 May, Modi hoped to do two events tomorrow in Varanasi, where he applied. I also planned to bathe in the Ganges. But so far it is unclear whether local authorities will give permission.

During his campaign, Modi, known as fundamentalist, has tried to move away from the more radical Hindus and give a more secular image. A couple of weeks, a party leader said Muslims should move to Pakistan and a leader from a nearby Hindu organization requested Muslims avoid purchasing property.

Following the discussion that ensued, the Hindu candidate twitter wrote: “I disapprove of any irresponsible statement and I ask those who are doing the refrain “. He also said that those diverted his campaign message of the issues of good governance and development. And is that the Hindu right candidate has been careful to talk less about religion and more development, analysts suggest. Much of the ” Modi mania”, the intent of voters prefer it is because it has managed to sell the Gujarat royalty, the State leader as the fifth largest economy in the country, growing at 10% annually, twice the average national.

But India’s views on Modi, the favorite according to polls, are divided and are diametrically opposed. Those who support it believe that being prime minister, India would save the entrenched corruption, to give direction to the direction of the country or stagnant economic growth would give India the halo budding superpower. Opponents, however, fear that it would be an authoritarian leader, his government would only benefit some groups (including Hindus and entrepreneurs) and especially that jeopardize the relative balance between Hindus and Muslims.

“Modi believes in Hindu nationalism in India based on their culture and religion,” says Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, author of the biography Narendra Modi: the man, the times. Since childhood Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh belongs to (RSS), which means ” National Volunteer Organization ” and is a controversial right-wing organization that promotes nationalism, and Hindu traditions and has been charged with certain crimes. ” It consists of fascists, right-wing terrorists,” said Bharat Bhushan analyst. Analysts agree that Modi is the candidate of the RSS, the organization that is still very close.

In Gujarat in 2002, during the government of Modi, the burning of a train in which Hindu pilgrims were killed 58, caused a wave of violence that ended 1,000 lives, mostly Muslim. Leaders of the Muslim minority accused the security forces of failing to protect them. Modi was investigated by special equipment ordered by the Supreme Court, which in 2012 said there was not enough evidence to charge him. But a large segment of the population thinks that did not take adequate measures to stop the killing. ” Modi could have done more. It took a long time to stop the violence. And there has not been a proper prosecuting the perpetrators,”says Mukhopadhyay.

The BJP candidate has never apologized and accuses the media of wanting to defame. Neither spoke out against the violence that erupted in September last year in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh which left 65 dead. Nalin Kolhi, BJP spokesman said that fighting between Muslims and Hindus are ” unfortunate incidents ” and that the State of Gujarat was historically sensitive, but that stopped after the bloody 2002 episode “It did everything. Army came after 20 hours of the outbreak of violence and rescued more than 3,000 Muslim vulnerable, “he says.

A radical government could jeopardize the secular vision of India’s unity in diversity, experts say. “A successful democracy should provide security to all minorities ” in the words of RP Pathak, director of Political Science, Banaras Hindu University.

It is expected that the vast majority of Muslims vote for the party to prevent the victory of the BJP, but could be exceptions. Perhaps the most curious is precisely in the disputed city of Varanasi, where he will vote on May 12. There the Quami Ekta Dal Muslim party said it will support. This behind other parties, including the Congress and AAP, refused to put anti Modi as common candidate Mukhtar Ansari. Member of the Legislative Assembly is in jail for various crimes, including murder.

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Posted by Abdul Basit Abbasi on May 9 2014. Filed under South Asia. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.