Varanasi, known as India's spiritual capital, is currently experiencing escalating tensions between Hindu and Muslim communities. The city, chosen as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency a decade ago, has become a focal point for the intersection of political and religious ambitions.
Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is facing accusations of transforming India, a nation constitutionally bound to secularism, into a Hindu rashtra, or homeland. This has raised concerns among the Muslim population, with many expressing fear at the prospect of Modi's re-election.
