Indian government blasts US think tank that calls region only 'partly free'
06 March, 2021
India on Friday condemned (Mar 5) a report by a good US-based think-tank that dropped its position from free to "partly free" saying the claims created by Freedom House are actually "misleading, incorrect and misplaced".
Freedom House in its report released on Wednesday titled "Freedom under Seige," explained India seems to have abandoned its probable to serve as a worldwide democratic innovator under Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
Modi and his party are driving India toward "authoritarianism", it said, adding political rights and civil liberties have deteriorated since Modi came to power in 2014 and the decline accelerated after his re-election in 2019.
The report also said Modi's government and its own state-level allies continued to crack down on critics and "ham-fisted lockdown" to stem spread of COVID-19 resulted in the dangerous and unplanned displacement of an incredible number of migrant workers.
Responding to the article, India government explained the ranking was faulty as many states in the united states are ruled by various other parties.
The government said it took steps to avoid distress to people and to alleviate problems of these worst-hit by the lockdown. India had registered "among the lowest rates of lively Covid conditions and deaths globally", it said.
The Freedom House survey said the Hindu nationalist movement also encouraged the scapegoating of Muslims, "who were disproportionately blamed for the spread of the virus and faced attacks by vigilante mobs".
India said it treats all its citizens with equality and follows thanks process of law in matters associated with law and order, irrespective of the identity of the alleged instigator.
India said it attaches highest importance to the security and safety of most residents and justified a good move to temporarily shut net services in places as a step needed to maintain law and order.
The Indian government also defended freezing Amnesty International's assets, saying it experienced remitted huge amounts of money to four entities registered in India, by misclassifying it as Foreign Direct Investment.
Since 1973, Freedom House has assessed political rights and civil liberties all over the world. Its studies are being used as references by policy makers, journalists and others.
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