Are Indian politics headed for a conflagration?

It's been a rough year for India.

The economy is melting down. A series of gang rapes have outraged the population and tarnished the country's image abroad. 

And on Friday, India's Hindu nationalist party chose a deeply controversial man to be their candidate for prime minister in the 2014 elections.

His name is Narendra Modi. Critics accuse him of allowing the 2002 riots in Gujarat, where he still serves as chief minister, to occur. More than 1,000 people died, mainly Muslims.

(Here he is, defending his actions.)

More recently, Indian press reports accused him of complicity in the murder of political opponents. 

Modi hasn't been found guilty of any wrongdoing in these matters. He is virtually worshipped by many supporters, and despised by others. And he has a very good chance of becoming prime minister.

How the campaign will unfold is uncertain. But it's safe to say that Modi's candidacy is likely to raise the temperature of India's politics. 

And as these photos show, that's saying something.