Word: bjp
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...From a political nobody, Modi was catapulted into the international limelight as the white-haired, bespectacled figurehead of Indian intolerance, a national Hindu hero. In headlines and debate, he instantly eclipsed all other leaders, even the Prime Minister from his own Bharatiya Janata Party (Indian People's Party, or BJP), the moderate but aging Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Faltering from a lackluster record as head of the national coalition government in New Delhi, and from a series of local poll defeats that has left it ruling just three of India's 28 states, the BJP rejected calls for the Chief Minister...
...Perhaps most tellingly, though he speaks directly to the mob from the bus roof, he tries to shrink away from it, almost embarrassed, once he's back in the bus. "It's true, they are there, the Muslim haters," he says, "but I welcome anyone who votes for the BJP. You can't blame me for that...
...Even if Modi is just acting the part of a Hindu fanatic, there's no doubt he is riding?and stoking?Hindu nationalism for political gain. The danger is that once Modi and the BJP hard-liners mount the tiger of hate politics, they cannot get off or, worse, cannot control it. BJP insiders admit that without any significant achievements for Modi to point to, either in Gujarat or across the country, his one hope lies in terrifying and cajoling Hindus into voting for the party that vows to jealously protect them, and them alone. Says childhood friend Jasud Pathan...
...There is another possible impetus for an attack. Gujaratis go to the polls in mid-December, and the ruling Hindu nationalist BJP party's agenda is a barely disguised campaign against Muslims. A strike would serve as a warning that Muslims will not be cowed. "Once an attack happens, we will all say, 'That is so obvious, why didn't we think of it,'" warns the official. "That is what people are saying about Bali now." By Meenakshi Ganguly/New Delhi
...stop hard-liners from howling for swift justice or Muslim families in Gandhinagar fleeing their homes, anticipating the worst as conservative Hindu leaders called for a mass strike. Vajpayee, however, has been ruing the events of the spring in speeches around the world. Statements from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders blamed Pakistan?not Muslims?to dilute religious overtones. To ensure the peace, this time the state deployed 3,000 soldiers to the area. The measured tones frustrated some coalition members?"Our Prime Minister only cares about international opinion," griped Kamleshji Maharaj of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), the Hindu chauvinist...