Ahmedabad: His supporters have little doubt that he is the true saviour of millions of Hindus, while his critics accuse him of being responsible for the slaughter of hundreds, possibly thousands, of minority Muslims.
The man himself, Narendra Modi, chief minister of the western Indian state of Gujarat who won a third term in office yesterday, believes he is a messiah tasked with ensuring his state remains among India's most developed.
He is either adored or abhorred, held in awe or shunned as a pariah. But whichever way he is treated, Modi, 57, has ensured he is one politician India cannot ignore. On Sunday, he showed why.
Narrow edge
Modi and his Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were forecast to have only a narrow edge ahead of Gujarat's December 11 and December 16 polls with Congress, which is in power federally, snapping at his heels.
But the results surpassed expectations even of party managers in New Delhi, with the BJP winning or leading in 119 of the total 182 seats, compared to 127 in 2002. "Narendra Modi has immense credibility with the people of Gujarat," said Arun Jaitley, a senior BJP leader and party strategist for the state.
That, however, is just one side of the image of Modi, a grey-bearded, bespectacled, fiery orator who has come close to becoming the rock star of right-wing politics in India.
Modi is a hate figure for Muslims and millions of secular Hindus across the country. He stands accused of turning a blind eye, and even encouraging, the killing of 1,200 to 2,500 people, most of them Muslims, in communal riots in the state in 2002.
Washington denied him a visa for severe violations of religious freedom.
