Narendra Modi
Encyclopedia
Narendra Damodardas Modi is the current Chief Minister
of the Indian state
of Gujarat.
He was born in a middle class family in Vadnagar
; and is a member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
since childhood, as also an active politician since early in life. He holds a masters degree in political science. In 1998, he was chosen by L. K. Advani, the leader of the BJP, to direct the election campaign in Gujarat as well as Himachal Pradesh
.
He became Chief Minister of Gujarat in October 2001, promoted to the office at a time when his predecessor Keshubhai Patel
had resigned, following the defeat of BJP in the by-elections.
His tenure as chief minister of Gujarat began on 7 October 2001, and he is the longest serving Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat. In July 2007 he became the longest serving Chief Minister
in Gujarat's history when he had been in power for 2063 days continuously. He was elected again for a third term on 23 December 2007 in the state elections, which he had cast as a "referendum on his rule".
of what was then Bombay State
, India. During the Indo-Pak war in the mid sixties, even as a young boy, he volunteered to serve the soldiers in transit at railway stations. As a young man, he joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
, a student organization and was involved in the anti-corruption Nav Nirmāṇ ("Reconstruction") Movement. After working as a full time organizer for the organization, he was later nominated as its representative in the Bharatiya Janata Party
. He is a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
(RSS). As a teenager Modi used to run a tea stall with his brother. Modi completed his schooling in Vadnagar
. He earned a masters degree in Political Science
from Gujarat University
.
He took up the challenging task of energizing the party cadres in right earnest. In partnership with Shankarsingh Vaghela, Modi set about creating a strong cadre base in Gujarat. In the initial period, Shankarsingh Vaghela was seen as a mass leader, while Modi was recognised as a master strategist.
The party started gaining political mileage and formed a coalition government at the centre in April 1990. This partnership fell apart within a few months, but the BJP came to power with a two-thirds majority on its own in Gujarat in 1995. Since then, the BJP has been governing Gujarat.
During this period, Modi was entrusted with the responsibility of organizing two crucial national events, the Somnath
to Ayodhya Rath Yatra (a political rally through India on a converted Toyota van) of L.K. Advani and a similar march from Kanyakumari
(the southernmost part of India) to Kashmir in the North. After the exit of Shankarsingh Vaghela from the BJP, Keshubhai Patel
was made Chief Minister while Narendra Modi was sent to New Delhi as a General Secretary of the Party.
In 1995, Modi was appointed the National Secretary of the party and given the charge of five major states in India. In 1998, he was promoted as the General Secretary (Organization), a post he held until October 2001. In 2001, Narendra Modi was chosen by the party to be the Chief Minister of Gujarat after the removal of chief minister Keshubhai Patel
.
Acclaimed writer and social figure Suhel Seth who has been a staunch critic of Narendra Modi over Gujarat Riots appreciated Narendra Modi' s governance in Gujarat in his article in Financial Express saying
However contrary to this popular belief, before Modi, Gujarat had achieved as much as 35% of augmentation in its power generation capacity during the periods 1995–96 and 2000–01. Gujarat's industrial growth history shows that during the period of 1960–90, it was established as a leader in various industrial sectors including textiles, engineering, chemicals, petrochemicals, drugs and pharmaceuticals, dairy, cement and ceramics, and gems and jewellery, amongst others. The post-liberalization period saw Gujarat's State Domestic Product (SDP) rising at an average growth rate of 14% per annum in real terms (from 1994–2002).
of January 2001.
As an aftermath of the riots, there were calls for Modi to resign from his position as chief minister of Gujarat. The opposition parties stalled the national parliament
over the issue. Even Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
(DMK) and Telugu Desam Party
(TDP), allies of the BJP, asked for Modi's resignation. Modi submitted his resignation to the Governor and recommended the dissolution of the 10th Gujarat Legislative Assembly. In the following state re-elections the BJP, led by Modi, won 127 seats in the 182-member assembly.
In April 2009, the Supreme Court of India
appointed a special team of investigators to look into the role Modi had played in the alleged anti-Muslim conspiracy. The team was appointed in response to the complaint of Jakia Jafri, the widow of ex-Congress MP
Ehsan Jafri
, who was murdered in the riots. In December 2010, a Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) in its report to the Supreme Court seeking answers pertaining to the Ehsan Jafri
case, submitted that they had found no evidence against Narendra Modi.
However in February 2011, the Times of India reported that a confidential report from the SIT indicted Modi on several counts of alleged complicity in the Gujarat riots of 2002. Most other sources have noted that the SIT report does not indict Modi for the riots due to lack of evidence. They did, however, find him to be a coward for not admitting to his crimes. The Indian Express too said the report did not find any Modi involvement in the violence, though it did accuse him of watering down the seriousness of the situation. According to the Hindu
, the report not only found that Modi tried to water down the seriousness of the situation, but Modi also implicitly justified the killings of Muslims, and failed to condemn the attacks on them.
The Bharatiya Janata Party
demanded an investigation into the publication of the report, claiming the leak was politically motivated.
The apex court refused to pass any order on the case and referred it to the Ahmedabad magistrate for a decision.
which enraged the opposition and some civil society institutions. In response, Sonia Gandhi
made a speech within which she referred to Modi as a "merchant of death", and referred to Sohrabuddin's killing. For this speech the Election Commission of India
, a constitutional body governing election proceedings in India, cautioned Modi as it considered it as an activity indulging in aggravation of differences between religious communities and hence against the election code of conduct. Modi won the state election and continued as the Chief Minister of the majority government.
"for his reluctance to revive anti-terror legislations" like the Prevention of Terrorism Act
. He asked the Centre to empower states to invoke tougher laws in the wake of the blasts in Mumbai. Quoting Modi:
Narendra Modi has frequently commented that if the BJP came to power at the Centre, they will honor the 2004 Supreme Court judgement to hang Afzal Guru
. Afzal was convicted of terrorism in the 2001 Indian Parliament attack
in 2004 by the Supreme Court of India
and is in Tihar Jail
.
On account of the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, on Thursday 27 November, Narendra Modi held a meeting to discuss waterfront security along the coastline. The meeting decided to ask the Central government to urgently sanction the following:
The 30 coastal boats, under construction at Goa's ship-building yard, will have the capacity to run at the speed of 25 nautical miles per hour. These are being manufactured under the Centre's Rs 58-crore grant for coastal security.
Modi's decision to link Gujarat's ferocious communal violence with the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US drew criticism from some observers, who contrasted it with the then Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani's unpleasant apology for Gujarat in London a year ago.
Responding to The Guardian
's criticism in this matter, Modi replied,
commented that the BJP's projection of Modi as a future Prime Minister affected its performance in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. Furthermore BJP criticism of Modi worries Gujarat leaders.
Other
Chief Minister
A Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government...
of the Indian state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Gujarat.
He was born in a middle class family in Vadnagar
Vadnagar
Vadnagar is a city and a municipality in Mehsana district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Geography:Vadnagar is located at . It has an average elevation of 143 metres .-Demographics:...
; and is a member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or National Patriotic Organization), also known the Sangh, is a right-wing Hindu nationalist, paramilitary, volunteer, and allegedly militant organization for Hindu males in India...
since childhood, as also an active politician since early in life. He holds a masters degree in political science. In 1998, he was chosen by L. K. Advani, the leader of the BJP, to direct the election campaign in Gujarat as well as Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
.
He became Chief Minister of Gujarat in October 2001, promoted to the office at a time when his predecessor Keshubhai Patel
Keshubhai Patel
Keshubhai Patel was Chief Minister of the Western State of Gujarat in India from March 1995 to October 1995 and from March 1998 to October 2001...
had resigned, following the defeat of BJP in the by-elections.
His tenure as chief minister of Gujarat began on 7 October 2001, and he is the longest serving Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat. In July 2007 he became the longest serving Chief Minister
Chief Minister
A Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government...
in Gujarat's history when he had been in power for 2063 days continuously. He was elected again for a third term on 23 December 2007 in the state elections, which he had cast as a "referendum on his rule".
Personal life
Modi was born to a middle class Modh family in Vadnagar in Mehsana districtMehsana district
Mehsana district is one of the 26 districts of Gujarat state in western India. Mehsana city is the administrative headquarters of this district. The district has a population of over 18 lakhs and an area of over 4,500 km². There are over 600 villages in this district...
of what was then Bombay State
Bombay State
The Bombay State was a state of India, dissolved with the formation of Maharashtra and Gujarat states on May 1, 1960.-History:During British rule, portions of the western coast of India under direct British rule were part of the Bombay Presidency...
, India. During the Indo-Pak war in the mid sixties, even as a young boy, he volunteered to serve the soldiers in transit at railway stations. As a young man, he joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad , is an all India student organization working in the field of education. ABVP was founded in 1948 and formally registered on 9 July 1949.-History:...
, a student organization and was involved in the anti-corruption Nav Nirmāṇ ("Reconstruction") Movement. After working as a full time organizer for the organization, he was later nominated as its representative in the Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
. He is a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or National Patriotic Organization), also known the Sangh, is a right-wing Hindu nationalist, paramilitary, volunteer, and allegedly militant organization for Hindu males in India...
(RSS). As a teenager Modi used to run a tea stall with his brother. Modi completed his schooling in Vadnagar
Vadnagar
Vadnagar is a city and a municipality in Mehsana district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Geography:Vadnagar is located at . It has an average elevation of 143 metres .-Demographics:...
. He earned a masters degree in Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
from Gujarat University
Gujarat University
The Gujarat University is the statewide institution affiliating many reputed colleges across the state of Gujarat, India. It has been given a B++ ranking by National Assessment and Accreditation Council .-History:...
.
Early activism and politics
Modi was a Pracharak in the RSS during his university years.He took up the challenging task of energizing the party cadres in right earnest. In partnership with Shankarsingh Vaghela, Modi set about creating a strong cadre base in Gujarat. In the initial period, Shankarsingh Vaghela was seen as a mass leader, while Modi was recognised as a master strategist.
The party started gaining political mileage and formed a coalition government at the centre in April 1990. This partnership fell apart within a few months, but the BJP came to power with a two-thirds majority on its own in Gujarat in 1995. Since then, the BJP has been governing Gujarat.
During this period, Modi was entrusted with the responsibility of organizing two crucial national events, the Somnath
Somnath
The Somnath Temple located in the Prabhas Kshetra near Veraval in Saurashtra, on the western coast of Gujarat, India, is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of the God Shiva. Somnath means "The Protector of Moon God". The Somnath Temple is known as "the Shrine Eternal", having been destroyed...
to Ayodhya Rath Yatra (a political rally through India on a converted Toyota van) of L.K. Advani and a similar march from Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari is a town in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. It is also sometimes referred to as Cape Comorin. Located at the southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula, it is the geographical end of the Indian mainland. The district in Tamil Nadu where the town is located is called Kanyakumari...
(the southernmost part of India) to Kashmir in the North. After the exit of Shankarsingh Vaghela from the BJP, Keshubhai Patel
Keshubhai Patel
Keshubhai Patel was Chief Minister of the Western State of Gujarat in India from March 1995 to October 1995 and from March 1998 to October 2001...
was made Chief Minister while Narendra Modi was sent to New Delhi as a General Secretary of the Party.
In 1995, Modi was appointed the National Secretary of the party and given the charge of five major states in India. In 1998, he was promoted as the General Secretary (Organization), a post he held until October 2001. In 2001, Narendra Modi was chosen by the party to be the Chief Minister of Gujarat after the removal of chief minister Keshubhai Patel
Keshubhai Patel
Keshubhai Patel was Chief Minister of the Western State of Gujarat in India from March 1995 to October 1995 and from March 1998 to October 2001...
.
Personality
Modi is known for leading a frugal lifestyle. He only employs a personal staff of just three. He is known to be a workaholic Chief Minister and an introvert. Contrary to his opponents blame of being rightist & Hindutva leader, he ordered the demolition of many Hindu temples that were built without proper government sanction which earned him the ire of VHP He is described as an incendiary politician. A crowd puller as a speaker and a dramatic,sardonic and churlish speaker. Modi has also tried to turn his image from an Hindu Nationalist politician to an image of able administrator. He wears business suits and is improving his command over the english language.Development of Gujarat
As a Chief Minister, Modi started various 'yojanas' or plans. This includes:- Panchamrut Yojana, a five-pronged strategy for an integrated development of the state,
- Sujalam Sufalam, a scheme to create a grid of water resources in Gujarat in an innovative step towards water conservation and its appropriate utilization.
- Krishi Mahotsav – agricultural research labs for the land
- Chiranjeevi Yojana – To reduce infant mortality rate
- Matru Vandana – Providing preventive and curative services under the Reproductive and Child Health Programme
- Beti Bachao – Campaign against female infanticideInfanticideInfanticide or infant homicide is the killing of a human infant. Neonaticide, a killing within 24 hours of a baby's birth, is most commonly done by the mother.In many past societies, certain forms of infanticide were considered permissible...
to improve sex ratio - Jyotigram Yojana – Provide electricity to every village
- Karmayogi Abhiyan – To educate and train government employees
- Kanya Kelavani Yojana – To encourage female literacy and education
- Balbhog Yojana – Midday meal scheme for students to encourage school attendance from poor backgrounds.
Acclaimed writer and social figure Suhel Seth who has been a staunch critic of Narendra Modi over Gujarat Riots appreciated Narendra Modi' s governance in Gujarat in his article in Financial Express saying
However contrary to this popular belief, before Modi, Gujarat had achieved as much as 35% of augmentation in its power generation capacity during the periods 1995–96 and 2000–01. Gujarat's industrial growth history shows that during the period of 1960–90, it was established as a leader in various industrial sectors including textiles, engineering, chemicals, petrochemicals, drugs and pharmaceuticals, dairy, cement and ceramics, and gems and jewellery, amongst others. The post-liberalization period saw Gujarat's State Domestic Product (SDP) rising at an average growth rate of 14% per annum in real terms (from 1994–2002).
Vibrant Gujarat
Vibrant Gujarat is a biennial Global Investors' Summit held by the Government of Gujarat in Gujarat, India. The event is aimed at bringing together business leaders, investors, corporations, thought leaders, policy and opinion makers; the summit is advertised as a platform to understand and explore business opportunities in the State of Gujarat. the event has been held continuously since 2003.Gujarat earthquake
The biggest challenge which he had to face, when he took over as the Chief Minister, was the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the areas affected by the massive Gujarat Earthquake2001 Gujarat earthquake
The 2001 Gujarat earthquake occurred on January 26, 2001, India's 52nd Republic Day, at 08:46 AM local time and lasted for over two minutes. The epicentre was about 9 km south-southwest of the village of Chobari in Bhachau Taluka of Kutch District of Gujarat, India...
of January 2001.
Gujarat riots
A train carrying Hindus burned by a mob of muslims in Godhra town leading to 59 deaths. Riots took place after rumours spread that it was caused by Muslims in the state leading to 1180 deaths, mostly Muslims. Modi administration was accused of inaction for stopping the riots or even encouraging it.As an aftermath of the riots, there were calls for Modi to resign from his position as chief minister of Gujarat. The opposition parties stalled the national parliament
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
over the issue. Even Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is a state political party in the states of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, India. It is a Dravidian party founded by C. N. Annadurai as a breakaway faction from the Dravidar Kazhagam headed by Periyar...
(DMK) and Telugu Desam Party
Telugu Desam Party
Telugu Desam Party or TDP is a regional political party in India's Andhra Pradesh state. It was founded by former Telugu film star N. T...
(TDP), allies of the BJP, asked for Modi's resignation. Modi submitted his resignation to the Governor and recommended the dissolution of the 10th Gujarat Legislative Assembly. In the following state re-elections the BJP, led by Modi, won 127 seats in the 182-member assembly.
In April 2009, the Supreme Court of India
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
appointed a special team of investigators to look into the role Modi had played in the alleged anti-Muslim conspiracy. The team was appointed in response to the complaint of Jakia Jafri, the widow of ex-Congress MP
Parliament of India
The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body in India. Founded in 1919, the Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. The Parliament of India comprises the President and the two Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha...
Ehsan Jafri
Ehsan Jafri
Ehsan Jafri was an ex-Parliamentarian who was burnt to death in 2002 in his own home by a group of unknown rioters during the Gujarat riots of 2002. He had been a noted trade unionist, and was one of the top party officials of the Congress party in Gujarat...
, who was murdered in the riots. In December 2010, a Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) in its report to the Supreme Court seeking answers pertaining to the Ehsan Jafri
Ehsan Jafri
Ehsan Jafri was an ex-Parliamentarian who was burnt to death in 2002 in his own home by a group of unknown rioters during the Gujarat riots of 2002. He had been a noted trade unionist, and was one of the top party officials of the Congress party in Gujarat...
case, submitted that they had found no evidence against Narendra Modi.
However in February 2011, the Times of India reported that a confidential report from the SIT indicted Modi on several counts of alleged complicity in the Gujarat riots of 2002. Most other sources have noted that the SIT report does not indict Modi for the riots due to lack of evidence. They did, however, find him to be a coward for not admitting to his crimes. The Indian Express too said the report did not find any Modi involvement in the violence, though it did accuse him of watering down the seriousness of the situation. According to the Hindu
The Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
, the report not only found that Modi tried to water down the seriousness of the situation, but Modi also implicitly justified the killings of Muslims, and failed to condemn the attacks on them.
The Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
demanded an investigation into the publication of the report, claiming the leak was politically motivated.
The apex court refused to pass any order on the case and referred it to the Ahmedabad magistrate for a decision.
2007 elections
In 2007, during the election campaign period, Modi made a speech at MangrolMangrol
Mangrol is a city and a municipality in Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Geography:Mangrol is located at . It has an average elevation of 18 metres .-Demographics:...
which enraged the opposition and some civil society institutions. In response, Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi is an Italian-born Indian politician and the President of the Indian National Congress, one of the major political parties of India. She is the widow of former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi...
made a speech within which she referred to Modi as a "merchant of death", and referred to Sohrabuddin's killing. For this speech the Election Commission of India
Election Commission of India
The Election Commission of India is an autonomous, quasi-judiciary constitutional body of India. Its mission is to conduct free and fair elections in India...
, a constitutional body governing election proceedings in India, cautioned Modi as it considered it as an activity indulging in aggravation of differences between religious communities and hence against the election code of conduct. Modi won the state election and continued as the Chief Minister of the majority government.
Modi's position on terrorism
On 18 July 2006 Modi delivered a speech criticizing Indian Prime Minister Manmohan SinghManmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
"for his reluctance to revive anti-terror legislations" like the Prevention of Terrorism Act
Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act
The Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act was an anti-terrorism legislation enacted by the Parliament of India in 2002. The act replaced the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance of 2001 and the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act , and was supported by the governing National Democratic Alliance...
. He asked the Centre to empower states to invoke tougher laws in the wake of the blasts in Mumbai. Quoting Modi:
Narendra Modi has frequently commented that if the BJP came to power at the Centre, they will honor the 2004 Supreme Court judgement to hang Afzal Guru
Afzal Guru
Mohammad Afzal, also known as Afzal Guru, is a Kashmiri who was convicted of conspiracy in the December 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament and was sentenced to death by the Supreme Court of India in 2004. The sentence was scheduled to be carried out on 20 October 2006...
. Afzal was convicted of terrorism in the 2001 Indian Parliament attack
2001 Indian Parliament attack
The 2001 Indian Parliament attack was a high-profile attack by Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists against the building housing the Parliament of India in New Delhi...
in 2004 by the Supreme Court of India
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
and is in Tihar Jail
Tihar Jail
Tihar Prisons , also called Tihar Jail and Tihar Ashram , is the largest complex of prisons in South Asia. It is located at Tihar village, approximately 7 km from Chanakya Puri, to the west of New Delhi, India. The surrounding area is called Hari Nagar.The prison is maintained as a...
.
On account of the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, on Thursday 27 November, Narendra Modi held a meeting to discuss waterfront security along the coastline. The meeting decided to ask the Central government to urgently sanction the following:
- Increase the number of police stations along the coast to 50 (from 10)
- Increase the number of police to 1500 from 250
- 30 modern high-speed surveillance boats.
The 30 coastal boats, under construction at Goa's ship-building yard, will have the capacity to run at the speed of 25 nautical miles per hour. These are being manufactured under the Centre's Rs 58-crore grant for coastal security.
Views on criticism of Modi's governance
In 2003, when Narendra Modi was asked about the conflict of his dreams for Gujarat's future with international criticism of his past activities, Modi said:Modi's decision to link Gujarat's ferocious communal violence with the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US drew criticism from some observers, who contrasted it with the then Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani's unpleasant apology for Gujarat in London a year ago.
Responding to The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
's criticism in this matter, Modi replied,
2009 Lok Sabha elections
Although the BJP narrowly managed to win majority of the seats in Gujarat, the loss of the Rajkot seat, after almost 20 years of control, was unexpected. Prominent politicians like Sharad YadavSharad Yadav
Sharad Yadav, a politician from the Janata Dal party, is currently a Member of the Parliament of India representing the Madhepura constituency of Bihar in the Lok Sabha...
commented that the BJP's projection of Modi as a future Prime Minister affected its performance in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. Furthermore BJP criticism of Modi worries Gujarat leaders.
Awards and recognitions
- 30 January 2006 – In a nationwide survey conducted by India Today, Narendra Modi was declared the Best Chief Minister in the country.
- 25 August 2009 – Chosen as The Asian Winner of the fDi Personality of the Year Awards for 2009 by fDi MagazineFDi magazinefDi Magazine is an English-language bi-monthly news and foreign direct investment publication owned by The Financial Times Ltd and edited in London. The A4 glossy pages reach a circulation of 14, 768 ABC “senior decision-makers involved in overseas investment” across the world...
. The award was however withdrawn and awarded to the Gujarat state instead.
External links
Official- Narendra Modi Official website
- Narendra Modi Personal blog
Other
- Profile at BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
- Narendra Modi collected news and commentary at The Times of IndiaThe Times of IndiaThe Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
- Amicus Curiae report lays the ground for chargesheeting Narendra Modi