The man who described Muslim refugees as “termites” during India’s general election campaign has been given the plum job of home affairs minister, signalling a tough stance on security and immigration from Narendra Modi’s new government.

Mr Modi, sworn in for a second term as prime minister in Delhi on Thursday evening, named his cabinet yesterday after trouncing the opposition and winning a clear majority last week. His Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 303 of 542 seats in parliament.

The chief architect of that victory was Amit Shah, the BJP’s president. Seen as the prime minister’s right-hand man and tipped to succeed him, Mr Shah is an arch nationalist previously charged with murder, and his appointment to one of the top posts in government has