AHMEDABAD, 23 December 2002 — One of the country’s most controversial politicians — a staunch critic of Muslims — returned to power yesterday as the top official of Gujarat after his landslide election victory last week in the state scarred by fierce anti-Muslim rioting.
Narendra Modi, who was Gujarat chief minister during the violence, led the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party to a convincing election win, despite accusations he failed to protect minority Muslims from rampaging Hindu mobs in the three months of rioting early this year that killed 2,000 Muslims.
Many of the country’s majority Hindus passionately support the 52-year-old Modi. But he is almost universally disliked by Muslims, the country’s largest minority.
His swearing-in ceremony yesterday appeared to be a massive show of strength.
About 200,000 cheering supporters packed a huge cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, the state’s largest city, where Modi began his second term as Gujarat’s chief minister. “Only those who talk of Hindu interests will rule the nation” and “Modi your magic has worked,” the crowd shouted. Hundreds of police and paramilitary officers ringed the area.
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and other top leaders of the BJP, which leads the national ruling coalition, attended the ceremony. Popular Bollywood stars — Juhi Chawla, Shekhar Suman and Anuradha Paudwal — were also there, as well as Anil Ambani, who heads the Reliance Group, India’s top industrial conglomerate.
The event was shown live on national television, underlining Modi’s elevation from a virtually unknown regional politician last year to a BJP leader of national status.
BJP activist Praful Patel said a “Hindu march” had begun. “Now the lotus will bloom in other states. No one can stop this march,” he said referring to the party’s lotus symbol.
The BJP took 126 seats in the recent election and now controls two-thirds of the 182-seat assembly of the western state.
Analysts say the vote would embolden the Hindu right-wing but it would not be easy to replicate the success outside the communally sensitive state. But some of Modi’s supporters said it was only a matter of time before the chief minister became prime minister. “Narendra Modi: CM now, PM tomorrow,” read one placard.
Security was tight ahead of the ceremony. Commissioner of Police K.R. Kaushik said more than 1,400 paramilitary forces were deployed in and around the stadium, and security was tightened elsewhere in the city and traffic movement restricted.
Sonia Gandhi’s opposition Congress party boycotted the swearing-in ceremony. Shankarsinh Vaghela, the party’s state chief, criticized the huge celebration.
“Gujarat is facing a drought in at least three districts where thousands of tribals are not getting even water to drink. But the government is spending millions of rupees to organize this ceremony,” he said.
