Modi’s Sledgehammer Politics Are Battering Indian Democracy
The fact that frustrated Indians have given up on opposition politicians is a sign of the ruling party’s strength — and its shame.
Modi is unopposed, literally
Photographer: Prakash Singh/BloombergWhen India goes to the polls in early 2024, it is hard to imagine voters kicking Prime Minister Narendra Modi out of power. In fact, Modi is probably more personally popular now than when he was first elected 10 years ago. But a closer look at the last few weeks of Indian politics reveals how deeply this dominance relies on a calculated use of state power — as well as what it may be costing Indian democracy.
Earlier this month, two young men — who had been granted entry to the visitor’s gallery of India’s parliament by a ruling-party legislator — jumped into the area with members’ seats and set off smoke bombs. Nobody was injured, nor did it seem that violence was their intention.