A largely Hindu country that has long proclaimed its multicultural character, India has a sizable Muslim minority, a small Christian community and even smaller pockets of other religions from Judaism to Zoroastrianism. [...] it's a complex interplay of religion and politics, as the dreams of Hindu nationalist voters combine with the after-effects of Modi's sweeping electoral victory earlier this year. [...] he had launched his political career in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a militant Hindu group that combines religious education with self-defense exercises, and the parent organization of the ruling party. While Modi played down religious issues during the campaign, wary of alienating voters with his and his party's reputations for Hindu nationalism, nationalist voters turned out for him in droves. Just how much Modi actually supports that sprawling agenda — which includes everything from demands to rewrite school textbooks to, at the most extreme end, the expulsion of non-Hindus from India — remains unclear. In an October speech to medical professionals, for example, Modi traced parts of modern medicine back to ancient India, noting that Ganesh — the Hindu god with the head of an elephant but the body of a person — is proof that plastic surgery began in India. Muslim leaders and human rights groups said Modi did little to stop the violence, a charge he denies. Quickly, the simmering religious issues boiled over into Parliament, with opposition lawmakers all but shutting down the legislature over charges that the prime minister had done little to stop the ceremonies.