The Indian government seeks foreign investments abroad citing Indian democracy and diversity, but uses harsh laws to undermine the same, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) has written in a letter to the European Union (EU).
In a sweeping criticism, the letter, which was sent to the EU a day before its summit with India on March 30, urged that the Narendra Modi government be persuaded to defend the country’s “marginalised communities” from increased harassment, and to issue public condemnation of anti-minority attacks.
‘Activists treated harshly’Individual activists critical of the government have also been treated harshly, it reported. “In January 2015, the government barred Priya Pillai, a Greenpeace India activist, from boarding a flight to London where she was to speak to members of the British Parliament, alleging that her testimony would have portrayed the government in a negative light,” the rights organisation said, highlighting the government’s extensive failure in protecting individual and community rights.
The nine-page document reminded EU members that have committed to support programmes such as Digital India and Smart City Project that they should ensure that the flagship programmes are not used to deny citizens’ fundamental rights. The HRW reserved its strongest comments for the “inflammatory remarks against minorities” by the ruling BJP.
