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Narendra Modi (Date of Birth - September 17, 1950) |
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One of the most controversial politicians in present-day India, Narendra Modi is Chief Minister of the western state of Gujarat since October 2001. Narendra Modi's American visa to attend Asian-American Hotel Owners Association meeting in March 2005 was revoked by U.S. Government on the grounds of violations of religious freedom. Under Narendra Modi's stewardship, massive communal violence broke out between Hindu and Muslims in February 2002 leading to the death of over a thousand people, the majority of them Muslims. The communal violence flared up after the Sabarmati Express train incident in Godhra in 2002 in which 58 Hindus lost their lives. Lately, Modi's government has got embroiled in the fake encounter case in which the Gujarat Police with the assistance of Andhra Pradesh Police killed Sohrabuddin and his wife in an alleged fake encounter. Born on September 17, 1950 in Vadnagar town of Mehsana district in Northern Gujarat, Narendra Modi holds a masters degree in Political Science. Narendra Modi first joined the Hindu organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1967 and the Hindu nationalist political party BJP subsequently. The RSS is closely aligned with the BJP and before that with the BJP's precursor, the Jan Sangh. Modi, who was involved in underground political protests against the emergency from 1975-1977, became the General Secretary of BJP in Gujarat in 1988-89. Narendra Modi became the Chief Minister of Gujarat in October 2001 after Kesubhai Patel resigned in the wake of mismanagement of national calamities. The Gujarat Government profile of Narendra Modi has this to say: "A true Karmayogi (doer), Mr Modi refuses to be cowed down by disasters and disturbances and is successfully leading his state on the path to economic growth." Despite facing charges of inciting communal riots, Narendra Modi led the BJP to a stunning victory by winning 126 seats in the 2002 Gujarat Legislative Assembly elections. Sources: Government of Gujarat |
