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Revision as of 19:11, 15 July 2004 by AmarChandra (talk | contribs) (→See also)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Narendra Modi (born September 17, 1950) is the chief minister of the state of Gujarat in India (October 7, 2001 - present day).
He belongs to the BJP, and became the Chief Minister of Gujarat when Keshubhai Patel resigned from office following the loss of 2 Assembly bypolls and 1 Lok Sabha seat.
Modi's tenure was marred by the Gujarat Massacre in which over 3000 people, mostly Muslims, lost their lives. Evidence exists of police complicity and participation in the massacre which saw some of the worst human rights violations ever witnessed such as the brutal gang rapes of women and young girls and the burning alive of women and babies. What is more surprising is that despite the widespread carnage not a single person was ever convicted for the massacre. The massacre was sparked off by the burning of a railway train carrying Hindus returning from a trip to the "Ram Janmabhoomi" at Ayodhya. Although nationalist Hindus blamed the burning of the train on a Muslim mob, investigations into the fire by a university in Hyderabad concluded that the train had ignited from the inside.
On June 15, 2004, four people suspected to be Lashkar-e-Toiba militants plotting to kill Modi, were shot down in an encounter by the Ahmedabad police. The four included a 19-year old girl, one Muslim-turned-Hindu, and two others based in Pakistan. This incident, which generated a lot of controversy, was the third such one in which the Gujarat police have shot down civilians on mere suspicion.
Many political parties in India have asked him to resign following his inability to stop the Gujarat Massacre. But Modi has stood firm and challenged his opposers, and continues to hold power in Gujarat.