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BJP has better track record than Cong when dealing with Pakistan

Given Narendra Modi’s substantial experience as chief minister, it is unlikely that he will overtly antagonise either India’s sizeable Muslim minority, or its neighbours, a Pakistani daily said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party also has a history of engaging with Pakistan more than the Congress and, therefore, only time will tell whether the new Indian prime minister follows the legacy, the Daily Times editorial said.

“The Indian prime minister in waiting has overcome the stain of communal violence, accusations of religious fundamentalism and the withering attacks of secular Indians to storm into power after netting the first full majority for any party since the 1984 elections put Rajiv Gandhi in power,” the newspaper said.

“This is what a real ‘tsunami’ looks like, the result of numerous tectonic shifts in the bedrock of India’s polity, manifested in a tidal wave of enthusiasm for Modi’s perceived ability to deliver on his promises,” it said.

The newspaper added the perception was based on 13 years of steady canvassing and image building by Modi, which has absorbed criticisms against him. Bogged down in incumbency and dynastic policy, the ousted Congress party lost its forward-looking momentum to the BJP, it said.

However, the BJP’s Hindutva ideology may be cause for concern for Indian Muslims, the newspaper said.

The newspaper also criticised Modi’s capitalist policies in Gujarat. It said Gujarat saw only eight per cent growth over the last decade, which was less than Tamil Nadu’s 8.6 per cent and Bihar’s 15 per cent.