<p>In 2002, Narendra Modi's carefully crafted political story was rocked by a series of deadly attacks in his home state of Gujarat, where he was the highly popular Chief Minister. Thousands were killed in a wave of riots that lasted for three days and became a major national scandal.</p><p>Modi's role in the violence has been heavily contested in the decades since, but he has never been able to shake the association in the minds of some Indians. How did he manage to survive such a high-profile catastrophe, and what is the legacy of those terrifying riots today?</p>

In 2002, Narendra Modi's carefully crafted political story was rocked by a series of deadly attacks in his home state of Gujarat, where he was the highly popular Chief Minister. Thousands were killed in a wave of riots that lasted for three days and became a major national scandal. Modi's role in the violence has been heavily contested in the decades since, but he has never been able to shake the association in the minds of some Indians. How did he manage to survive such a high-profile catastrophe, and what is the legacy of those terrifying riots today?

The riots

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is one of the most powerful people in the world. Over his ten years in power, he has transformed his nation into an emerging superpower everyone wants to do business with. But he's also created an environment where no journalist is allowed to ask him questions, and many critics are scared of voicing public dissent. As India approaches a general election in May, another Modi victory has already been assumed by most observers.

There are many myths surrounding Narendra Modi's extraordinary rise from a humble tea seller, but how much do we really know about the life of this enormously influential man? There are stories of his association with a supposed paramilitary volunteer group, a secret marriage, and questions about how he has handled India's deadly religious tensions. In this seven-part series, the ABC's South Asia correspondent Avani Dias travels around India in search of answers about who Modi is and how he has shaped the world's most populous nation.

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is one of the most powerful people in the world. Over his ten years in power, he has transformed his nation into an emerging superpower everyone wants to do business with. But he's also created an environment where no journalist is allowed to ask him questions, and many critics are scared of voicing public dissent. As India approaches a general election in May, another Modi victory has already been assumed by most observers. There are many myths surrounding Narendra Modi's extraordinary rise from a humble tea seller, but how much do we really know about the life of this enormously influential man? There are stories of his association with a supposed paramilitary volunteer group, a secret marriage, and questions about how he has handled India's deadly religious tensions. In this seven-part series, the ABC's South Asia correspondent Avani Dias travels around India in search of answers about who Modi is and how he has shaped the world's most populous nation.

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The riots

The riots

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