What you need to know about Indian PM Narendra Modi

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspects the honour guard as he arrives on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, April 15, 2015. (Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS/)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a polarizing figure, called a rock star by some and a threat to minority rights in his own country by others.

Modi, 64, is the first sitting Indian prime minister to visit Canada in 42 years. His three-day visit and meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Wednesday is being closely watched by the Indian diaspora and those who are divided on Modi’s leadership and legacy.

Historic victory

Modi and his Hindu nationalist party came to power following a historic election last May. It was the first time in 25 years that a single party won a majority in India’s parliament, said Kanta Murali, a professor at the Munk School of Global Affairs in Toronto.

“He came to power on a message promising economic change, promising good governance, promising decisive leadership,” Murali told CTV’s Canada AM.

Part of Modi’s appeal was the fact that there was “considerable disenchantment” with the previous government, Murali said.

Modi, who went from selling tea at his father’s shop to leading the western Indian state of Gujarat, also had a reputation for being pro-business and pro-economic development. He was a “powerful orator” who appealed to the middle class and India’s young, aspirational population, Murali said.

Riot controversy

Before he became prime minister, Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat, one of India’s most prosperous states. Under his leadership, the state’s economy grew by roughly 10 per cent between 2004 and 2012.

But as a Hindu nationalist, he faced criticism from Sikh and Muslim communities. In 2002, massive riots in Gujarat led to the deaths of hundreds of people, most of them Muslim. Modi was criticized for not having done enough to stop the riots, and his government was accused of being complicit in the killings.

In 2013, a court rejected a petition to prosecute Modi, but one of his ministers was convicted.

Years later, “very strong questions” remain about Modi’s role in the riots, Murali said. She also said there are widespread fears in India about minority rights now that he is the prime minister.

Protests planned in Canada

While the key goal of Modi’s visit is to secure economic and trade relations with Canada, some groups are planning to protest at his public appearances.

Modi will give a speech in Toronto on Wednesday and then visit both Sikh and Hindu temples in Vancouver and Surrey, B.C., during the remainder of his visit.

Jatinder Singh Grewal of Sikhs For Justice told The Canadian Press that the group has asked Attorney General Peter MacKay to start legal proceedings against Modi over the Gujarat riots.

"People of that calibre do not have the right to enter the free world," Grewal said.

The World Sikh Organization of Canada is also calling on Modi to address escalating attacks on minorities in India.

With files from The Canadian Press