Narendra Modi is an exceptionally popular prime minister both at home and on the world stage. His approval rating is 76% and he is regularly flattered, praised and courted by global leaders keen to align themselves with India – and get a slice of their huge consumer market.
But critics say this is despite Modi and his ruling BJP party’s assaults on the independence of vital institutions, from the judiciary to the media. The Guardian’s south Asia correspondent, Hannah Ellis-Petersen, explains how opposition politicians have also felt they have been targeted – in particular Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party, Modi’s most famous rival.
Nosheen Iqbal hears how an extraordinary case – alleging that Gandhi has defamed “the entire Modi community” – could see this heir to India’s most famous political dynasty jailed for two years, just a year before a general election. While author Pankaj Mishra explains why it matters so much and warns that India’s democracy is at a critical point.
Photograph: Reuters
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