Rahul Gandhi sides with Swedish institute report, says ‘India no longer democratic’

Citing Swedish Institute V-dem's Democracy report titled 'Democracy Broken Down: India', ex-Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Thursday, opined that 'India is no longer a democratic country'. After US-based Freedom House's titled “Democracy Under Siege”, V-dem Institute's report downgrades India to an 'electoral autocracy' from a 'democracy' claiming gradual deterioration of freedoms in the past 10 years. The report claims that most autocratisation happened after 2014 - the beginning of PM Modi's first term.

Rahul Gandhi quotes V-Dem institute's report

What does V-Dem Institute's report claim?

The report claims that India's level of liberal democracy declines from 0.57 in 2013 to 0.34 in 2020, claiming diminished autonomy of election management body i.e the EC- accusing a downgrade in 'overall freedom and fairness of elections' -  specifically in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The report claims diminishing freedom of expression, the media, and civil society under the Modi government, alleging censorship on par with Pakistan and worse than Bangladesh and Nepal. Claiming the instances of sedition charges, UAPA invoked, the report claims the government is allegedly using it to imprison political opponents, imprison protestors, silence dissent in academia.

Quoting to CAA, which has been passed by parliament, the report alleges constitutional violation on religious clause. The report also quotes the tightening of FCRA norms, concluding 'descent into electoral authoritarianism in what used to be the world’s largest democracy. The Centre is yet to respond to the report.

Freedom House Report

Similarly, US NGO Freedom House report titled “Democracy Under Siege” downgraded India to 'partly free' from 'free'. due to discriminatory policies affecting the Muslim population, crackdown on expressions of dissent and rising violence. India has scored 67 out of 100 in the report. The report has scored India 34/40 in political rights and 33/60 in civil liberties. In 2018, 2019, and 2020, India had been rated as “free” in Freedom House’s reports, though its scores on a scale of 100 had declined during this period from 77 to 71, according to Outlook.

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting termed the report as 'misleading, incorrect and misplaced' and issued a point-by-point rebuttal. It has assured that India under its federal structure is ruled by multiple parties apart from the one in Centre through a free and fair election conducted by an independent election body.  Centre touched open the points raised in the report regarding various changes in India in the past year such as Delhi riots, Use of sedition law, COVID-19 lockdown, govt response to human rights organizations, intimidation of academics and journalists, Internet shutdowns and FCRA amendment.