Modi: The tea seller's son who became India's populist hero and PM for historic three terms

Narendra Modi (right) is sworn-in as the Prime Minister of India by President Draupadi Murmu, left, at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, in New Delhi, India, Sunday, June 9, 2024. The 73-year-old leader is only the second Indian prime minister to retain power for a third term. - AP

NEW DELHI (AFP): Once shunned and now eagerly courted by the West, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has steered his country away from its secular traditions and towards the Hindu-first politics he has championed for decades.

Modi's political ascent was marred by allegations of his culpability in India's worst religious riots this century, and his tenure has dovetailed with rising hostility towards Muslims and other minorities.