Thursday, 12 November 2015

Why is Indian prime minister Narendra Modi in London, and why are people going to see him at Wembley?

Why is Indian prime minister Narendra Modi in London, and why are people going to see him at Wembley?

From being a tea-seller's son to lunch with the Queen and a rally at Wembley Stadium, Mr Modi's visit to the UK is an important moment. But why is his visit so controversial?


Isabelle Fraser By Isabelle Fraser, and agencies11:14AM GMT 12 Nov 2015
Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister, is visiting the UK this week, with some 60,000 British Indians expected to attend his rally at Wembley Stadium.
The high-profile visit comes just weeks after China's president Xi Jinping was treated to all the pomp of a state visit.
While Mr Modi will not receive quite that welcome, he will visit the Queen, and focus on trade deals with the UK and celebrate the importance of the estimated 1.7 million British Indians.
BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi speaks during a rally in Lucknow on March 2, 2014
BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi speaks during a rally in Lucknow on March 2, 2014  Photo: GETTY IMAGES
What is he doing in the UK?
Mr Modi has a packed schedule when he arrives in the UK on November 12: he will have lunch with the Queen, and address a joint session at Parliament with David Cameron, after visiting the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square.
Later, he will attend an event for British Indians, and stay the night at Chequers.
It is hoped that the trip - the first by an Indian prime minister to the UK in almost a decade - will yield billions of pounds in trade and investment deals.
Press Association reports that up to £10 billion worth of deals will be signed during the course of Mr Modi's stay, including the sale to India by BAE Systems of 20 more Hawk trainer aircraft.
A supporter holds up US and Indian national flags in Times Square to watch Narendra Modi's speech 
A supporter holds up US and Indian national flags in Times Square to watch Narendra Modi's speech   Photo: Carlo Allegri/Reuters
On November 13, Mr Modi will speak at a mass rally at Wembley Stadium, where he is expected to receive a rave reception from 60,000 adoring supporters. The rally will be topped off with "the biggest fireworks display in the whole country", according to the UK Welcomes Modi website.
So many British Indians will be attending the event in Wembley that special 'ModiExpress' buses have been laid on from across the country. He also held a rally in New York's huge Madison Square Garden which 18,000 attended - small fry compared to the Wembley event.
He is also unveiling a statue of the 12th century philosopher Basaveshwara, as well as inaugurating the Ambedkar House museum in north London.

Why is he so popular?
Mr Modi is seen as distinct from incompetent and corrupt governments that came before him. He is also viewed as a modernising leader, focused on growth and business interests across the world.
Earlier in the year, Mr Modi made a similar visit to the United States to improve trade and political relations there.
But in the last year, Mr Modi's party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has suffered some humiliating electoral defeats - most recently in the state of Bihar.
Telegraph journalist Radhika Sanghani's family is attending the rally in Wembley. She said: "I think his visit is so popular with British Indians because they see it as a 'once in a lifetime opportunity' to see an Indian prime minister, especially one who's so popular.
"Modi has managed to connect with young British Indians in a way other Indian PMs haven't been able to in the past - he's seen in touch with all generations and his use of social media makes him seem like a 'modern PM'.
"A few of my relatives - ranging from their twenties to their sixties - are going to see him at Wembley for similar reasons, but also because as Gujaratis, they're keen to see a Gujarati prime minister.
"The visit will undoubtedly attract lots of Gujarati Indians in Britain."
Narendra Modi wins India election with landslide victory
Hindu nationalist leader declares 'the start of a new era' in the world's biggest democracy as the ruling Congress declares defeat 
Supporters of India's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) celebrate outside the party headquarters in New Delhi  Photo: REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
What is the controversy surrounding Modi?
The questions surrounding Mr Modi's visit echo those of Xi Jinping's.

Until 2012, Mr Modi was barred from entering the UK over allegations that in 2002, when he was chief minister of Gujarat, he failed to stop anti-Muslim riots in which 1,000 people died.
Mr Modi’s precise responsibility in those events remains angrily disputed, but for a decade after the riots, Britain refused any official contact with him. British officials concluded that his administration had supported the violence.
The ban was lifted in 2012 as Mr Modi’s ascent to the premiership of a future economic superpower looked inevitable.
He is also the leader of the BJP, a party long associated with more aggressive forms of Hindu nationalism.
Muslim, Sikh and Christian groups are reported to be planning a mass demonstration outside Downing Street when he meets Mr Cameron for talks.
Will David Cameron raise concerns?
Asked whether Mr Cameron would raise concerns about events in Gujarat in 2002 - including the murders of three Muslim British nationals during the riots - the Prime Minister's official spokeswoman would say only that "nothing is off the table".
The spokeswoman said: "We are clear that it is important to the UK to have a strong and close relationship with India as an important partner.
"As the world's largest democracy, there are many values we share and many common challenges we face, and we should be working together on them.
"These bilateral talks that the Prime Minister has with leaders from around the world provide an opportunity to engage in person with them on a whole range of issues and talk to them about the challenges facing different countries and how we respond to them.
"Our focus is on how we can work together on the challenges facing our countries from economic prosperity to security."

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