Modi declares it useless to discuss changing the Constitution to make India’s religion more overtly Hindu

In addition to slamming critics and any discussion of changing the Constitution to make India an explicitly Hindu republic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has denied claims that the country discriminates against minorities and stated that his goal is to foster an environment where businesses and investors alike will find it worthwhile to establish operations and invest here.

During an interview with the Financial Times (FT), a British newspaper, Modi dismissed conjecture on potential Constitutional amendments as baseless. He said that the “most transformative steps” taken by his government—such as the statewide “Clean India” toilet-building drive and the ground-breaking push for digital public infrastructure that would put almost 1 billion people online—have been accomplished both without and with the help of the general population.

As people realize that the country is “on the cusp of a take-off,” Modi said that he is “very confident of victory” in the national elections scheduled for 2024. In what the publication called an unusual interview and further written replies, he told FT, “They want this flight to be expedited, and they know the best party to ensure this is the one which brought them this far.”

Citing his government’s track record of “solid change in the common man’s life,” Modi said that the goals of the populace have evolved over the last ten years.

The remarks were made a few days after the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regained control of Madhya Pradesh and the heartland states of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, greatly enhancing its chances of winning the next national elections in the summer of 2019.

In the southern state of Telangana, the Congress was able to win. Of the 543 members of the Lok Sabha, 82 are sent by the four states.

According to FT, a third term would be a validation for Modi’s hordes of admirers, who claim he has elevated the Hindu faith to the center of public life, enhanced hundreds of millions of people’s lives, and developed India’s economy and international reputation. It also said that in response to what they claim is an assault on the secular ideals of the nation’s founders, the opposition, headed by Congress, has banded together and pledged to “protect democracy and the Constitution”.

According to FT, Modi’s administration has come under fire for allegedly suppressing opponents, stifling civil society, and discriminating against the significant Muslim minority in the nation.

While FT said that the accusations of democratic backsliding have frightened some observers in India and abroad at a time when foreign leaders are placing a great deal of emphasis on the nation as a geopolitical and economic ally, the BJP has refuted these assertions.

According to FT, Modi’s opponents fear that if he wins a third term, particularly if the BJP garners a sizable majority, he would use it to permanently destroy secular ideals, potentially by changing the Constitution to declare India an openly Hindu republic.

Modi said that although BJP detractors were allowed to voice their thoughts and beliefs, there was a fundamental problem with these accusations, which often take the form of critiques. In addition to insulting the Indian people’s intellect, he continued, “these claims [about the state of Indian democracy] also underestimate their deep commitment to values like diversity and democracy.” The freedom that exists in the nation, he said, is being used by an ecosystem to constantly throw accusations at them via tweets, videos, TV channels, social media, and editorials.

Modi emphasized that there is no sense of prejudice against any religious minority in Indian culture. When questioned about the future of the 200 million-strong Muslim minority in India, the Financial Times reported that Modi made no mention of the Muslims directly. Rather, Modi highlighted the prosperity of the Parsee community in India, characterizing them as a “religious micro-minority residing in India.” “They have found a safe haven in India, living happily and prospering despite facing persecution elsewhere in the world,” Modi added. “It demonstrates that there is no sense of discrimination against any religious minority in Indian society.”

According to the Financial Times, because the BJP has no Muslim ministers, anti-Muslim hate speech has increased dramatically. It added that when someone asked about the purported crackdown on his detractors by the Modi administration, they laughed heartily and for a long time. Modi said that although his detractors are free to make accusations, others are just as entitled to a fact-based response.

He brought up the lengthy record of foreigners underestimating India. “The British who departed India after its independence in 1947 made a number of very pessimistic forecasts about the country’s future. However, it has become evident that all of those assumptions and forecasts were unfounded. He went on, “Those who have similar doubts about his government will also be proven wrong.”

Modi noted that India has grown from being one of the “Fragile Five,” or economies that are unduly dependent on foreign investment to cover current account deficits, to being the fifth-largest economy in the world. He also stated that India aspires to create a system in which people from all over the world feel welcome. “…where our procedures and expectations are well-known and hospitable,” he said. It is the type of open, international standard system that we want to create.

According to FT, infrastructure development has accelerated under Modi’s leadership. Modi’s administration also rattles off the following statistics: 706 medical colleges, up from 387 before he assumed office; 905 km of metro lines, up from 248 km a decade ago; and an increase in airports to 149 from 74 less than a decade ago.

According to FT, India is not producing enough employment despite a significant push towards infrastructure and its position as the largest economy developing at the quickest rate in the world. This poses a risk for the BJP as it launches a nationwide campaign.

Citing statistics from the Periodic Labour Force Survey, Modi said that there has been “a consistent decline in unemployment rates.” “It is clear that job creation in India, a large and young country, has accelerated when evaluating various performance metrics like productivity and infrastructure expansion,” Modi said.

According to FT, additional barriers to business that international and Indian firms complain about include corruption, bureaucratic red tape, and the skills gap in the young. Some worry that these issues might keep the nation from experiencing the same economic boom as China, which has been driven by manufacturing.

According to Modi, comparing India to other democracies may be more appropriate. “It’s critical to acknowledge that if the problems you’ve brought to light were as widespread as you suggest, India would not now have the fastest-growing economy in the world,” he added. “These worries are frequently the result of perceptions, and changing perceptions can occasionally take time.”

According to FT, while the concept of India as the world’s largest developing country is not new, the narrative has gained significant traction recently as a result of Washington-Beijing tensions driving Western democracies to look for alternative trading and diplomatic partners.

Modi cited the existence of CEOs of Indian descent at prestigious firms like Microsoft and Google as proof that there isn’t a skills gap.

As per the Financial Times, several commentators have cited the high number of qualified Indians who go outside as proof that domestic prospects are inadequate. Questioned about whether India should not be luring people back to their native country, Modi said, “It’s not a matter of needing to bring them back.” Instead, we want to build an atmosphere in India that would compel individuals to have an interest in the country.

Regarding foreign policy, Modi said that India can interact with other countries in a way that respects their shared interests and takes into account the complexity of modern geopolitics since the national interest serves as the primary guiding principle. “There is interdependence and connectivity throughout the world.”

According to FT, Modi presented India’s flexible foreign policy. It said that in line with India’s long-standing non-alignment policy, Modi had good connections with Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia. During a state visit to the US in June, he also solidified a closer-than-ever friendship with President Joe Biden by signing a plethora of deals in fields ranging from quantum computing to jet engines.

Modi reiterated India’s support for a two-state solution while stating that India has backed the supply of humanitarian supplies to Gaza. As the first Indian prime leader to visit Israel, Modi has strengthened India’s ties with the Jewish state, despite the country’s longstanding support for the Palestinian cause, according to FT. Furthermore, it said that the Modi administration has generally abstained from criticizing Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration on the Israel-Hamas conflict.

According to FT, Israel is the Modi government’s main ally, sharing both technology and a right-wing nationalist perspective.

According to Modi, India would take all necessary steps to advance peace efforts and stay in contact with the leaders of West Asia.

According to Modi, there has never been a closer bond, better understanding, or wider involvement between the US and India. The remarks were made one month after an indictment against Indian diplomat Nikhil Gupta by the US Department of Justice was made public. Gupta was charged with planning an attempt to kill Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York in June.

The hitman who Gupta supposedly hired turned out to be an undercover US law enforcement agent. India declared the formation of a committee to look into the matter and promised to take the appropriate follow-up action after acknowledging US feedback on the scheme.

This month, all five Indian-American members of the US Congress issued a warning, stating that unless New Delhi looks into and prosecutes those who plotted to assassinate Pannun, an American-Canadian citizen whom India has branded as a terrorist, there will be “significant damage” to the “very consequential” India-US connection.

Five months after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Canada was looking into the possibility that Indian “agents” were responsible for the June murder of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia, Gupta’s indictment was made public in November. Trudeau’s allegation was dismissed by India as “absurd,” and 41 Canadian ambassadors were ordered to leave the nation.