Leader of India’s UP poised to give Hindus the edge

New dawn: Adityanath gesturing to supporters in Lucknow. — AFP

BISHARA: When India’s prime minister named a hardline Hindu known for his anti-Muslim speeches to head its largest state Uttar Pradesh (UP) this month, many saw it as a sign that his party’s huge election win had emboldened him to pursue a more radical agenda.

But in the village of Bishara in Uttar Pradesh, where a Muslim man was lynched by his Hindu neighbours in 2015 triggering a national outcry, residents celebrated into the night by letting off fireworks and dousing each other with festive coloured powder.