Even as the BJP dispensation fights allegations of polarisation politics domestically, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always gone out of his way to ensure that the Islamic world is seen by his side.

PM Modi’s keenness in projecting his proximity to the Arab world was on display recently when he hosted UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGGS) in Gandhinagar.

The PM not only welcomed the UAE President, who was the chief guest at the VGGS, on his arrival at the airport, but also held a roadshow with him in Ahmedabad on January 9.

Now, just ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi is embarking on a visit to the UAE for the inauguration of the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi on February 14.

A day earlier, the PM will address the Indian diaspora at the Sheikh Zayed Sports Stadium in Abu Dhabi in which nearly 50,000 people are expected to attend. This event, called “Ahlan Modi (Hello Modi)”, has been billed as the “largest community reception to the Indian Prime Minister” overseas.

The UAE reportedly accounts for the largest Indian diaspora population at 3.5 million in the world.

In 2015, a year after he took over as the PM for his first term, Modi became the first PM of India to visit the UAE after a gap of 34 years. The upcoming visit would be his seventh one to the key Gulf country.

During his two-term as the PM so far, Modi has visited Saudi Arabia twice. He visited Bahrain in 2019, Oman, Jordan and Palestine in 2018, and Qatar in 2016. He paid a visit to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in UAE in 2015 and the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Oman in 2018. He has also received the highest civilian awards of Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain.

At the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. pic.twitter.com/0QF5quwoON

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 16, 2015

BJP leaders say that by reaching out to the larger Islamic world, PM Modi has neutralised “the Opposition-fuelled perception that the Muslim community has been targeted in the country during his tenure”.

In June 2022, the BJP had suspended its national spokesperson Nupur Sharma and Delhi spokesperson Naveen Kumar Jindal for their alleged remarks against the Prophet. The swift action came after countries in the Gulf summoned the Indian ambassadors to their nations to register their protest.

India has had strong ties with the Gulf region, which have remained strategically significant for it for oil, gas and trade besides the Indian diaspora.

The BJP’s prompt crackdown on its spokespersons was believed to have come following a directive from PM Modi, which indicated his eagerness to keep the Arab leaders in good humour.

Barring the Jewish state of Israel, the ten other countries of the Gulf region — Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Jordan and Yemen — together account for one-fifth of the world’s Muslim population, and are among the strongest voices of the Islamic world.

Since taking over as the PM, Modi has personally taken interest in elevating the level of India’s engagement and relationship with these countries. Several foreign policy experts have attributed the renewed vigour in these ties to the “energy and commitment” Modi invested in it.

Held extensive talks with HRH Mohammed Bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.

India’s ties with Saudi Arabia are historical and time-tested.

Saudi Arabia is a valued strategic partner of India in the 21st century. pic.twitter.com/2oDOaxeHJ5

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 20, 2019

“The personal chemistry between the rulers of these regions and PM Modi has played significant role in building a strong relationship with these countries,” said Vijay Chauthaiwale, the BJP’s foreign affairs department in-charge.

“The large Indian diaspora is yet another backbone of this partnership. Especially in case of the UAE, enhanced trade, opening of IIT-Delhi campus and now the Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi have shown that there is ‘reservoir of trust’ between the two countries,” he said.

Some BJP leaders also point out that “India’s flourishing relations with the Arab world act as a counter to the criticism made by the secular lobby domestically”.

While the India-Canada row over the killing of a Sikh separatist on the Canadian soil had triggered bitter criticism against Canada PM Justin Trudeau from BJP leaders, for example, no such remarks were made by them over the death sentence to eight ex-Indian Navy men ordered by a Qatari court. The BJP just maintained that India would fight a legal battle for them. In December, a Qatar appellate court commuted their death sentence to imprisonment.

“Although the cases are entirely different, there was no bitterness that spilled over to the public over it (the Qatar case). The matter was handled carefully at the political level too,” pointed out a BJP leader.