Hitler’s rhetoric during his ascent was focused on the greatness of the Aryan race. At that point in Germany’s history, the country was in shambles after World War I and no one had any hope for the future of the country. When people had nothing to be proud of, he told them it wasn’t their fault that Gemany was in shambles – it was the fault of the ruling class and the business class and the elite. The most visible among them were the Jews and so he extended the argument that in an Aryan nation the Jews have control and have brought an Aryan nation down and so they must be kicked out of power and the Aryans must once again build their country and bring it back to glory.

In Indian media terms – his rhetoric was highly communal.

If he were to contest as a Hindu Nationalist candidate today – he would be talking about the glory if the Hindu religion and of how the Muslims have been the ones who destroyed a great nation and brought it to shambles. While Hindu Nationalists do speak of a glorious Hindu past and there is considerable anger among them against the Muslim community, that rhetoric is not Modi’s rhetoric.

Modi’s rhetoric is tamer and the anti-Muslim sentiment will not work throughout the country – which means he will have to hold it in. Will be become anti-Muslim once he is in power? That remains to be seen, but Modi declaring Emergency, although scary to think about, doesn’t seem like a possibility to me.

Well put. :)