US-based research institute voices fear the world’s largest democracy is descending into authoritarianism under Modi.
Freedom House has downgraded India from free to partly free, voicing fear that the world’s largest democracy was descending into authoritarianism under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The democracy research institute, which is independent but receives funding from the United States, pointed to mob violence against Muslims, intimidation of journalists and rising judicial interference since Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won power in 2014.
Four year decline in India's Freedom House ranking (driven by decline in civil liberties score (42 –> 33). pic.twitter.com/TyVxoIwdaf — Tariq Thachil (@tariqthachil) March 3, 2021.
Political rights and civil liberties have eroded in India since Narendra Modi became prime minister in 2014, causing the country to drop from Free to Partly Free in 2020.
The United States remained classified as free following Donald Trump’s turbulent presidency but Freedom House warned of the “parlous state of US democracy”.
It pointed to Trump’s false allegations of election fraud and the January 6 storming of the Capitol “incited by the president himself”. »