Three decades after Hindu mobs tore down a historical mosque, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the consecration of a grand Hindu temple at the same site on Monday in a political move to boost his party ahead of a crucial national vote.
Experts say the temple, dedicated to Hinduism’s most revered deity, Lord Ram, will cement Modi’s legacy – enduring but also contentious – as one of India’s most consequential leaders, who has sought to transform the country from a secular democracy into an avowedly Hindu nation.
