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This article has some scathing stuff. If true, these paint Modi govt in a very bad light. Sounds like complete abuse of power with no checks and balances. > An

by Bhilai 5y ago

This article has some scathing stuff. If true, these paint Modi govt in a very bad light. Sounds like complete abuse of power with no checks and balances. > Analysis of the more than 1,000 mostly Indian phone numbers selected for potential targeting by the NSO client that hacked Kishor strongly indicate intelligence agencies within the Indian government were behind the selection. > The phone number of a woman who accused India’s then chief justice of sexual harassment was selected shortly after her claims became public, along with 10 other numbers linked to her including those used by her husband and two other family members. > Forensic analysis detected Pegasus activity as recently as this month on a phone used by Sushant Singh, a journalist who investigated a controversial billion-dollar contract awarded to one of Modi’s close allies in business to build a fleet of fighter jets with the French manufacturer Dassault. > The Wire reporter Rohini Singh is facing civil and criminal defamation charges over an investigation she produced into the finances of the son of India’s home minister, Amit Shah. She was selected as a target over the two years ...

sinyug 5y ago
If the Radia tapes[1] didn't affect the Congress/UPA government, why would this affect Modi? > Sounds like complete abuse of power with no checks and balances. There are checks and balances. They are called elections. The Indian constitution grants the government of the day an extraordinary amount of power. But the government is eventually formed by elected members of parliament. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radia_tapes_controversy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radia_tapes_controversy
- wolverine876 5y ago
  If government uses its powers to suppress the opposition and prevent criticism of itself, then elections are not a check. Elections also aren't a check for people who have already suffered from the oppression. Governments operate under the rule of law and respect for democracy and human rights. 'To protect those rights, governments are instituted among men.' They serve the people with power delegated to them by the people. They aren't elected as temporary gods or kings.
  - sinyug 5y ago
    > If government uses its powers to suppress the opposition In what way is the opposition being suppressed? Other than the Congress which is suffering from a self-inflicted, mortal wound, the smaller parties are doing quite well in their own states. > prevent criticism of itself This statement has no basis in reality. The Hinduphobic left and their friends in media have done nothing but abuse the Modi government for seven straight years with zero consequences. > people who have already suffered from the oppression Who is being oppressed? In what way? > Governments operate under the rule of law and respect for democracy and human rights. Sure. That explains the benevolent nature of the Chinese/Iranian/Pakistani governments. And also why the US government keeps overthrowing other democratically elected governments, interfering in foreign elections and invading foreign countries to spread democracy while carpet bombing the local population. Please. Governments are entities that exercise a monopoly over violence within a certain territory. The nature of the government depends on those in power and those who get them there.
    - srean 5y ago
      Journalists, professors (Kappan, Teltumbde) languishing in jail without trial on trumped up charges, and planted evidence indicates otherwise. A 84 year old Parkinson's patient (Stan Swamy) who couldn't feed himself water arrested on trumped up charges, held without trial, dying in jail indicates otherwise. Rampant doctoring and planting of evidence indicates otherwise. Lack of progress in investigations in killings of critics (Gauri Lankesh) indicates otherwise. Lack of progress in criminal proceedings against perpetrators of violence against JNU students caught on camera indicates otherwise. I could keep going on giving examples till the cows come home.
      - sinyug 5y ago
        > Journalists, professors (Kappan, Teltumbde) languishing in jail without trial on trumped up charges Can you please tell the HN audience whether Teltumbde was able to approach the Supreme Court of India for relief and what the SC told him? Or are you also casting aspersions on the Supreme Court? > A 84 year old Parkinson's patient (Stan Swamy) who couldn't feed himself water arrested on trumped up charges, held without trial, dying in jail indicates otherwise. He died in a hospital.[1] He was able to present his case before a court multiple times. > I could keep going on giving examples till the cows come home. A lie here, a half-truth there. I am sure you can find an infinite number of similar "examples." [1] https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/fr-stan-swamy-passes-away/article35143941.ece https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/fr-stan-...
mynameismon 5y ago
This is the exact reason a strong opposition is required. The opposition in India at the national level is an amalgamation of parties with no common interests or ideologies, other than that of being against the government in power. It is a travesty that the best policies are that of the government in power, despite all its overreaches
- wolverine876 5y ago
  > the best policies are that of the government in power Taking away Indians' freedoms, brutalizing minorities, upending the rule of law, promoting corruption ... I don't believe for a moment that Modi's policies are 'best'. India did very well under Congress before his election.
  - baybal2 5y ago
    I'd say... people were so sick, and tired of congress, that they voted in BJP for the lack of any alternative. That's why @mynameismon is very correct. When the Congress finally crashed in nineties, there was no contender even for an empty seat. Even Basu (a freaking totalitarian himself,) who almost got the seat, himself decided against at the last second. Congress too was a very authoritarian party in the past, as much as almost everybody else in the political arena. Indian politics were very violent prior up until 200x. There were no "good" party. If you have no credible, genuine opposition, you will not have a choice in between good, and bad, but in between bad, and bad. Take a good look on Indian political landscape in post-independence history, and you will understand that India, though all its 74 years of independent existence never had anything coming as an alternative to the Congress, that wasn't as authoritarian as Congress: — JD, and United Front were stillborn, putting literally nothing on the table other than not being the Congress. Radiagate, Ranjan Bhattacharya.... list goes on. — In WB, Basu was ordering hit jobs on the opposition, and his own fellow commies almost weekly. — "In the liberal South" they had constant Blue/Red, and Hindu/Tamil violence, because local parties had nothing but the same caste/religion/race cards the BJP plays today. — Maharashtra politics — gangsterland. It was, and still is
    - 5y ago
tibbydudeza 5y ago
Not surprised - they have been showing these tendencies for a while now.
- puranjay 5y ago
  The sad part is that no one seems to care. Rather, they will be cheered on by their supporters.
- miohtama 5y ago
  Here is the recent Economist article how Modi is turning India into one-party Hindu nationalist state https://www.economist.com/briefing/2020/11/28/narendra-modi-threatens-to-turn-india-into-a-one-party-state https://www.economist.com/briefing/2020/11/28/narendra-modi-...
naruvimama 5y ago
For all we know it could be Sonia keeping tabs on her son. The way he has been helping Modi win election after election, I would not be surprised if he was working for Modi.

by Bhilai 5y ago

sinyug 5y ago

If the Radia tapes[1] didn't affect the Congress/UPA government, why would this affect Modi? > Sounds like complete abuse of power with no checks and balances. There are checks and balances. They are called elections. The Indian constitution grants the government of the day an extraordinary amount of power. But the government is eventually formed by elected members of parliament. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radia_tapes_controversy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radia_tapes_controversy

wolverine876 5y ago
If government uses its powers to suppress the opposition and prevent criticism of itself, then elections are not a check. Elections also aren't a check for people who have already suffered from the oppression. Governments operate under the rule of law and respect for democracy and human rights. 'To protect those rights, governments are instituted among men.' They serve the people with power delegated to them by the people. They aren't elected as temporary gods or kings.
- sinyug 5y ago
  > If government uses its powers to suppress the opposition In what way is the opposition being suppressed? Other than the Congress which is suffering from a self-inflicted, mortal wound, the smaller parties are doing quite well in their own states. > prevent criticism of itself This statement has no basis in reality. The Hinduphobic left and their friends in media have done nothing but abuse the Modi government for seven straight years with zero consequences. > people who have already suffered from the oppression Who is being oppressed? In what way? > Governments operate under the rule of law and respect for democracy and human rights. Sure. That explains the benevolent nature of the Chinese/Iranian/Pakistani governments. And also why the US government keeps overthrowing other democratically elected governments, interfering in foreign elections and invading foreign countries to spread democracy while carpet bombing the local population. Please. Governments are entities that exercise a monopoly over violence within a certain territory. The nature of the government depends on those in power and those who get them there.
  - srean 5y ago
    Journalists, professors (Kappan, Teltumbde) languishing in jail without trial on trumped up charges, and planted evidence indicates otherwise. A 84 year old Parkinson's patient (Stan Swamy) who couldn't feed himself water arrested on trumped up charges, held without trial, dying in jail indicates otherwise. Rampant doctoring and planting of evidence indicates otherwise. Lack of progress in investigations in killings of critics (Gauri Lankesh) indicates otherwise. Lack of progress in criminal proceedings against perpetrators of violence against JNU students caught on camera indicates otherwise. I could keep going on giving examples till the cows come home.
    - sinyug 5y ago
      > Journalists, professors (Kappan, Teltumbde) languishing in jail without trial on trumped up charges Can you please tell the HN audience whether Teltumbde was able to approach the Supreme Court of India for relief and what the SC told him? Or are you also casting aspersions on the Supreme Court? > A 84 year old Parkinson's patient (Stan Swamy) who couldn't feed himself water arrested on trumped up charges, held without trial, dying in jail indicates otherwise. He died in a hospital.[1] He was able to present his case before a court multiple times. > I could keep going on giving examples till the cows come home. A lie here, a half-truth there. I am sure you can find an infinite number of similar "examples." [1] https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/fr-stan-swamy-passes-away/article35143941.ece https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/fr-stan-...

mynameismon 5y ago

This is the exact reason a strong opposition is required. The opposition in India at the national level is an amalgamation of parties with no common interests or ideologies, other than that of being against the government in power. It is a travesty that the best policies are that of the government in power, despite all its overreaches

wolverine876 5y ago
> the best policies are that of the government in power Taking away Indians' freedoms, brutalizing minorities, upending the rule of law, promoting corruption ... I don't believe for a moment that Modi's policies are 'best'. India did very well under Congress before his election.
- baybal2 5y ago
  I'd say... people were so sick, and tired of congress, that they voted in BJP for the lack of any alternative. That's why @mynameismon is very correct. When the Congress finally crashed in nineties, there was no contender even for an empty seat. Even Basu (a freaking totalitarian himself,) who almost got the seat, himself decided against at the last second. Congress too was a very authoritarian party in the past, as much as almost everybody else in the political arena. Indian politics were very violent prior up until 200x. There were no "good" party. If you have no credible, genuine opposition, you will not have a choice in between good, and bad, but in between bad, and bad. Take a good look on Indian political landscape in post-independence history, and you will understand that India, though all its 74 years of independent existence never had anything coming as an alternative to the Congress, that wasn't as authoritarian as Congress: — JD, and United Front were stillborn, putting literally nothing on the table other than not being the Congress. Radiagate, Ranjan Bhattacharya.... list goes on. — In WB, Basu was ordering hit jobs on the opposition, and his own fellow commies almost weekly. — "In the liberal South" they had constant Blue/Red, and Hindu/Tamil violence, because local parties had nothing but the same caste/religion/race cards the BJP plays today. — Maharashtra politics — gangsterland. It was, and still is
  - 5y ago

tibbydudeza 5y ago

Not surprised - they have been showing these tendencies for a while now.

puranjay 5y ago
The sad part is that no one seems to care. Rather, they will be cheered on by their supporters.
miohtama 5y ago
Here is the recent Economist article how Modi is turning India into one-party Hindu nationalist state https://www.economist.com/briefing/2020/11/28/narendra-modi-threatens-to-turn-india-into-a-one-party-state https://www.economist.com/briefing/2020/11/28/narendra-modi-...

naruvimama 5y ago

For all we know it could be Sonia keeping tabs on her son. The way he has been helping Modi win election after election, I would not be surprised if he was working for Modi.