Is PM Modi a Dictator? Evaluating the Opposition’s Claims and the Facts
PM Modi is a dictator!, claimed by almost every opposition party and some media houses ( news channels) and Influences, According to some opposition, if Modi wins this 2024 election, this would be our last election. Congress President and INDIA bloc convenor Mallikarjun Kharge once said in his speech that it is the last opportunity to save democracy.
But some concerns are legit, whether Modi Supporters acknowledge or not
we can see that after the 2014 election, there was a sudden rise of Hindutva which obviously led to the Kamal sign of the BJP. This sudden empowerment led to many negative thoughts on social media against Muslims. And some opposition party leaders took advantage of it and put fear among people.
But the main topic of this article, Is Modi a dictator?
To know this we need to know what a dictatorship looks like!
There are few characteristics through which we can identify a dictator
Ideology
One of the most important characteristics of a dictator is Ideology, Hitler came into power through Aryan Supremacy Ideology, USSR Dictator Stalin with Socialist Supremacy, and the same with ISIS, And for Modi it’s Hindutva. Hannah Arendt a German American political theorist once wrote in her publication “ The Origins of Totalitarianism” that Ideologies are the powerhouse of dictatorship. This means if you want to gather many people on your side then it can be possible through ideology Ideology is the reason through humans are connected to each other through common beliefs. Ideology helps provide the vision of the future.
Why Ideology is the Backbone of Dictatorship?
If we look at the most powerful dictator in history Hitler establish his power through ideology,
if we look at a current example of Russian President Vladimir Putin claiming that the Ukrainian Invasion is to protect Russian ethnicity. That’s why Russian people supporting his invasion.
A Dictator can’t rule without ideology, now according to the opposition BJP’s core ideology comes from RSS, where Hindu supremacy and suppressing Minorities.
now after coming into power with the help of ideology, it’s time to take control of key institutions of the country.
control of key institutions
To take control of key institutions every dictator has a common practice they put their loyalist in top positions. In India, there are three pillars of government military, judiciary, and executive body. Modi government accused for that they put their loyalist in the top positions of these key institutions.
Military control
Opposition claims that in 2016 Modi government placed their loyalist Bipin Rawat into the top position of the Indian Army sidelined by equally deserving candidates. This happened in the Navy also where Karambir Singh ( vice admiral) was sidelined by two senior navy officers and made him chief of navy staff. BJP was also accused for that they give election tickets to retired military officers.
If we compare this to the characteristics of a dictator, Muammar Gaddafi also gave promotions and financial incentives to his loyalist military officers.
Syria’s dictator Bashar-al-Assad used to place his family members and his close ones in top positions and the list goes on.
Judicial Control
The opposition accused Modi for that he appoints only his favorite judges to the Supreme Court. For example, in 2018 opposition heavily criticized Ranjan Gogoi’s appointment, because during his tenure many judgments were passed in favor of the current government. For example Rafael Aircraft case, Dismissal of CBI director Alok Verma, and the most awaited Ayodha Ram mandir case. And their allegation got stronger when the Chief Justice of India became Rajya Sabha MP on BJP’s ticket.
In a dictatorial regime, a dictator wants to seek judiciary control to legitimize his power. For instance, in 2016, when Turkey’s dictator Recep Tayyip Erdogan faced a military coup, Shortly 2700 judges who supported the rebels got arrested. Similarly, Vladimir Putin is known for placing his loyalists in the judiciary, resulting in Russia’s surprising 99% criminal conviction rate. This means the judiciary acts as a state puppet, allowing the regime to eliminate opposition at any time. In fact, in Russia, Judges have been fired when the acquittal rate increases
Executive Body
Now if I talk about Executive Bodies, Modi accused for that he put loyalists in top positions of executive Bodies for example The appointment of Rishi Kumar as CBI director, the opposition argued that the Modi government placed him intentionally so that they could achieve their desired objectives. We had seen a few cases in recent elections where many politicians were rid by ED and other cases as well.
We can see the same pattern in China, where Xi Jinping places top communist party workers in key government positions. In north Korea the dictator King Jung Un’s government (WPK) controls the entire executive body.
After getting the hard power and hard control, the next step is to suppress the opposition and deal with whoever speaks negatively about the dictator.
The opposition claims that Modi uses ED and CBI to put pressure on the opposition and to imprison those who criticized him.
In 99% of dictatorial regimes, have a similar pattern, During USSP’s time, Joseph Stalin, if any opposition went against his regime they would face repercussions like imprisonment in labor camps and executions.
In Syria, Bashar al-Assad’s dictatorship even took citizen’s basic human rights, like the right to religion and freedom. The situation got worse when Assad used chemical weapons against his own innocent citizens.
In present-day North Korea, an entire region has been designated as a detention camp to suppress dissent.
It doesn’t stop here!
The dictator still needs support of the common people, therefore he must maintain a positive perception among them. This ensures that people view him as the best option available. without this support, there is a risk of civil war or a coup becomes significantly higher.
THE Propaganda!
A usual practice of a dictator is to spread propaganda, presenting false information as truth to create a larger-than-life image among the people. For this, Their main weapon is the media. In 2020, “The IT Amendment Rules” were introduced, and according to the opposition this rule was designed to destroy press freedom. The rule mandates that any news deemed false or misleading must be removed from all social media platforms. The government has been accused of using media to glorify themselves through so-called “Godi media,” and if anyone who questions them is removed from the picture.
One notable example is NDTV’s Ravish Kumar, who frequently questioned the Modi government. However, the opposition claims that the government, brought NDTV through Adani to suppress dissenting voices like Ravish Kumar.
When discussing dictatorial regimes, people begin to take a stand against dictatorship when they realize something is wrong. However, in North Korea, government control limits citizens’ access to information, showing only what the dictator wants them to see.
Only a Few people know that in 1933, when Hitler came into power, at first he established a propaganda ministry to promote Nazi ideology through news, films, and radio. Similarly, the Chinese government has a propaganda factory with 14,000 employees monitoring the media. Their mega broadcaster’s task is to glorify the government’s image, highlight developmental projects, and tell only positive stories to its citizens.
These propaganda efforts make the government leader appear as a superhero to the people, showcasing acts of bravery or extraordinary actions that no one else has done before. For example, Modi’s government is accused of using bold decisions like building the Ram Mandir and removing Article 370 to create a strong image. In North Korea, there’s a story that when Kim Jong Un’s father was born, And a star appeared in the sky, although he was actually born in a Soviet army barracks.
Modi’s government is also accused of using similar tactics to build his image by making bold decisions like GST and demonetization, promoting the slogan “Agar Modi hai toh mumkin hai”. His larger-than-life image extends globally, aided by his IT cell, which cleverly uses memes to portray the opposition as less important (“Pappu”) compared to Modi so that people take him seriously and other party seems less. When the opposition uses similar tactics, the government turns it into a weapon, such as the “Desh ka Chokidar” (Nation’s Watchman) campaign.
This strategy is not unique to Modi. Dictators around the world have used similar tactics. Hitler was portrayed as the savior of the nation after the humiliation of WWI, leading Germany to its peak. USSR’s Joseph Stalin was considered a “fatherly figure” protecting Soviet social values. Turkey’s Erdogan is viewed by some as an Islamic caliph, while Putin’s macho image as a former KGB spy still fresh in Russians, they still believe that Russia wouldn’t survive without him.
Till now we only get the opposition’s perspective, but we need to know the other side of the story to get a non-biased and rational conclusion.
To understand the difference between a dictatorial and democratic regime we need to know, who has the supreme authority and what rules and laws govern the system. In a dictatorial regime, the dictator is the supreme authority. However, in India’s case, the Constitution is the supreme authority. No leader can alter the fundamental principles of the Constitution; doing so would be unconstitutional and could result in legal consequences.
For example, there was an attempt to remove the word “Socialist” from the Constitution, But the Supreme Court rejected it as unconstitutional, Therefore the changes made by the BJP government are constitutional.
If we talk about China, after Xi Jinping came into power, he directly said that there would be no elections until 2036. Even Hitler, when he came to power, declared that there would be no elections and established a dictatorship.
However, the Modi government, in both terms, has followed the democratic process of elections to come into power. So, where is the dictatorship in this?
Modi is Suppressing Minority
Regarding the suppression of minorities, the concern arises from the BJP’s backing of the RSS Hindutva ideology, which leads to fears among minorities that Hindus will suppress them. While this fear cannot be dismissed outright, is it actually happening? There’s a psychological fact that 99% of our fears are unfounded, and it’s easy to control people with fear. Therefore, it’s also possible that this is propaganda from the opposition, far from reality. That’s why we need to find the truth.
The BJP’s core ideology, RSS, defines “Hindutva” in a broader sense: anyone born in India, regardless of their religion, is considered Hindu. Other dictators, like Hitler, never expressed support for minorities. Dictators typically aim to eliminate minorities. The RSS is a national ideology rather than a religious one, as indicated by its name, “Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh,” which means “National Volunteer Organization” and serves the nation, not a particular community or religion. Perhaps this truth was not communicated to Muslim minorities by their leaders.
RSS even has a group called the “Muslim Rashtriya Manch,” created in 2002 with 10,000 Muslims for the betterment of India. If Modi were a dictator, how did this number grow from 10,000 to 10 lakh? Can you imagine Jews in Hitler’s army or Hindus in ISIS? The idea sounds Funny, doesn’t it?
Now let’s assume that BJP government claiming these things and the truth may be different. But In fact, under Modi’s leadership, minorities have benefited from schemes like “PM Awas Yojana,” which provides housing, “Ujjwala Scheme,” which replaces kerosene with gas, and “Mudra Yojana,” which offers loans at low interest rates. The beneficiaries of these schemes include 24-30% Muslim minorities. Even the “Jandhan Yojana,” which allows opening accounts with zero balance, has 42% Muslim beneficiaries. According to NDTV, the percentage of Muslim government employees increased from 4.5% in 2014 to 10.5%.
In education, the admission rate for Muslim children has reached 74.2%, up from 69.4% in 2014. Everyone knows children are the future of the nation. If the Modi government wanted to suppress minorities, why would they empower Muslim children?
Let’s compare this to other dictatorships.
Hitler killed minorities based on their nose size.
In present-day China, 11 million Uighur Muslims face religious restrictions and forced labor. Uganda’s dictator Idi Amin was infamous for killing and even eating minorities, as stated by Uganda’s Health Minister Henry Kemba. ISIS gave minorities only two options: convert to Islam or pay a tax to follow their religion.
If we call Modi a dictator after knowing all this, it would be like comparing Subway sufers to PUGB or a pigeon to a dragon.
Is Modi turning India into a Hindu Rashtra?
The unfortunate reality is that while the opposition targets the leading party’s ideology by claiming that their plan to create a Hindu Rashtra, they accuse Modi of bias against minorities. But, despite Hindus being the majority, they are treated as eighth-class citizens in terms of benefits. Even tough Muslims are a minority, they receive more rights than Hindus.
For example, Sabarimala case, the Sabarimala Temple traditionally barred women during their menstruating period from upholding the deity’s vow of celibacy. However, the Modi government removed this rule in 2018, allowing women to enter the temple, despite opposition from Hindu women in Kerala. If Modi were a dictator, would he have taken such steps against the majority?
In this country, Tipu Sultan, who killed and forcibly converted many Hindus, is still celebrated. Is this possible in a dictatorship? If Modi were truly a dictator, why do the Places of Worship Act of 1991 still stand? This act prevents the demolition of any mosque built after breaking a temple. Why didn’t Modi take action against it and instead waited for the legal process to build the Ram Mandir?
If we look at countries like Saudi Arabia, only Muslims can be Saudi citizens. In contrast, in India, anyone can practice their religion and celebrate openly. For example, in Saudi Arabia, the Muharram procession is banned because it is a Shia Muslim celebration, and Saudi Arabia is a Sunni country.
Does Modi taking Rights of Minority?
The WAQF Act of 1995, gives the right to a community to register any land for a mosque, it’s Section 3 gives the right to the WAQF to claim any land if they feel it’s Muslim land. Delhi alone has 58,000 pending WAQF land encroachment cases. In fact The WAQF is the third-largest landowner in the country, and this act directly violates Article 13-2 of the Constitution, which discourages laws that violates other rights. Yet, the Modi government has not taken action against this law and has not made laws in favor of Hindus.
Opposition leader Arvind Kejriwal has openly supported the WAQF board, claiming that Mumbai’s richest person, Ambani, lives on WAQF land. He stated that if his party were in power, they would demolish Ambani’s property. This suggests minority appeasement politics, rather than exploitation.
If you still consider Modi as a Dictator, to be a dictator, one needs ultimate power. But if we look carefully, Modi Ji doesn’t have full power. In fact. Out of 31 states in India, the BJP has single-handedly formed the government in only six states. In the remaining states, BJP has formed governments in alliances, such as in Maharashtra with Shiv Sena, and in UP with Apna Dal. Even looking at coalition governments, there are only 12 states with solely NDA governments. So, what kind of dictatorship is this? This shows real democracy.
What kind of dictator comes into power through coalition with other parties? If there were a dictatorship, Modi’s power would be absolute in every state, and he wouldn’t allow the opposition to exist, much less thrive. In North Korea, for example, Kim Jong Un has political concentration camps in the Sungori region where he keeps his opponents captive. Anyone who votes against him is considered anti-national.
So how can you say this is a Totalitarian state? Even Congress had more power when they ruled the country for 50 years: three terms under Nehru for 17 years, four terms under Indira Gandhi for 16 years, and Rajiv Gandhi won with 400 seats single-handedly out of 543 seats. This is an actual one-party system dictatorship. Indira Ji overthrew 9 states in a day, imprisoned the opposition, and during the emergency, she passed the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, called the mini-constitution, changing major elements of the Constitution that cannot be changed. Congress has dismissed more than 90 state governments, with more than 50 states dismissed during Indira Gandhi’s phase. In the past 10 years, the Modi government has never dismissed a state government. So why was it not a dictatorship then, and why now? This question should be asked to every youth who is being brainwashed.
But what if the Modi government gets more seats, comes to power, and decides to bring dictatorship in India? The answer lies in the verdict of the Keshwananda Bharti vs the State of Kerala case on 24th April 1973. 13 Supreme Court judges gave a groundbreaking judgment, stating that no government can change the basic structure of the constitution. Even if the BJP won all 543 seats, they can’t change the democratic regime of the constitution.
Now, let’s assume the rarest scenario where Modi breaks the democratic system. To achieve this, he would need to gain main power through his core ideology, RSS ideology. However, RSS’s vision is not to establish the country as a religious cult; its vision is that Islam is absolutely safe in India. So even if Modi wants to establish a dictatorship regime, he will not get the support of the people because it is not the vision of RSS.
My personal view
In conclusion, neither is he a dictator, nor is he going to become one in the future, nor can he become one. The question arises: why does the opposition keep calling Modi a dictator? According to me, the answer is very simple. If you analyze the situation a little bit, this election of 2024 is not just about democracy in India but about the existence of the Congress party. They are afraid that after this election, their existence can be destroyed. That’s why they are deliberately raising this issue again and again. Before the 2024 election, they came to the 2nd position with 48 seats and got the leader of the opposition tag. However, to become the leader of the opposition, it takes at least 52 seats. If they had lose this time, they won’t even have the leader of opposition tag. They are also afraid history will repeat itself. When they had a one-handed government for 50 years, there was mostly no leader of the opposition; the first leader of the opposition was established in 1969. Now, they are facing the same situation. That’s why they are scared and screaming, saying that Modi is a dictator. However, there is a need for a strong opposition in India so that all the parties are committed and accountable for the development of the country.