Biden throws lavish state dinner for India’s right-wing PM Modi

The democracy in India is struggling to hold on. The government of the United States has levelled serious allegations of human rights violations against India.

Despite this, on Thursday the president of the United States is going to host a costly state dinner for the prime minister of India.

The fact that Vice President Joe Biden is attempting to cultivate a relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, despite the fact that he has declared the promotion of democracy a primary objective of his administration, highlights the friction that exists between his campaign ideas and the realities of being president.

The administration of Vice President Joe Biden has accused the government of India of permitting violence against religious, racial, and ethnic minorities, as well as participating in unlawful and arbitrary killings, restricting freedom of speech, and restricting freedom of expression.

India’s democratic standing has been lowered by various monitoring organizations. According to Freedom House’s latest assessment, the country is just moderately free.

“It’s very awkward, and embarrassing even, to have the rhetorical emphasis on democracy for the foreign policy, while at the same time this critical partner is seen as backsliding,” said Irfan Nooruddin, a professor of Indian politics at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. “It’s very embarrassing to have the rhetorical emphasis on democracy for the foreign policy.”