Hindu nationalism now mainstream, thanks to Modi's decade in power

FILE- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sandalwood paste and vermilion applied on his forehead during the inauguration of Kashi Vishwanath Dham Corridor in Varanasi, India, Dec. 13, 2021. FILE - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation on the country's Independence Day in New Delhi, India, Aug. 15, 2014. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets during the unveiling of his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata party’s election manifesto in New Delhi, India, April 14, 2024.

Hindu nationalism, once a fringe ideology in India, is now mainstream. Nobody has done more to advance this cause than Prime Minister Narendra Modi, one of India’s most beloved and polarizing political leaders.