Freedom House downgrades India to ‘partly free’

Washington: Freedom House on Wednesday 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 US funding, pointed to mob violence against Muslims, intimidation of journalists and rising judicial interference since Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party won power in 2014.

"Rather than serving as a champion of democratic practice and a counterweight to authoritarian influence from other countries, Modi and his party are tragically driving India itself toward authoritarianism," Freedom House said in its annual report.

"Under Modi, India appears to have abandoned its potential to serve as a global democratic leader, elevating narrow Hindu nationalist interests at the expense of its founding values of inclusion and equal rights for all."