So why make Modi the guest of honor at the Bastille Day Parade, and play into the hands of a man who derives much of his popularity in India from the idea that he has "made India great again"? The Indian media report in detail on his frequent visits to world leaders. Above all, these minorities are the target of violence, with Hindu nationalist militias linked to the ruling party acting as cultural police on the streets.
In addition to these attacks on the rule of law, India is tipping into xenophobia, with Muslim and Christian minorities gradually reduced to second-class citizens, as shown by the discrimination against Muslims in the labor and housing markets. Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi was even sentenced to two years in prison for defaming Modi, forcing him to resign his seat in the National Assembly, where he had denounced Modi's collusion with Indian oligarchs, particularly Gautam Adani. Journalists are pursued, NGOs are deprived of external funding, intellectuals are subjected to state surveillance, and politicians are arrested on charges of tax evasion. This spending was made possible by new rules for political funding that make donations from individuals and companies very opaque. The BJP's 2019 campaign budget is estimated at more than €3 billion, money that has allowed it to flood the public space through television and social media.
Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), or People's Party of India, not only receives unprecedented media coverage during election campaigns, but also record-breaking funding. While Indians are called to vote at regular intervals, the competition between the parties involved in the legislative process is no longer fair. This comes at a time when India is moving towards a form of government that can be described as electoral autocracy. The French government has just announced that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the guest of honor at the Bastille Day Parade. Published on May 25, 2023, at 3:01 am (Paris), updated on May 25, 2023, at 7:46 am Time to 4 min. Researcher Christophe Jaffrelot wonders whether it was necessary to make Narendra Modi the guest of honor on Bastille Day when India has turned its back on international law and respect for democracy. 'Betting on India is a short-sighted strategy for France' Op-Ed
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