India slips 10 ranks on democracy index, Shiv Sena blames Modi government

The Shiv Sena on Friday slammed the Centre after India slipped 10 ranks on the Democracy Index. The blamed Modi government's controversial decisions including Article 370, Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Registrar of Citizens for the downgrade in the index in its mouthpiece Saamana editorial.

The editorial said a "panic" is created by the Narendra Modi government over a series of issues like Article 370 in Kashmir, CAA and NRC have put the brakes on development in India.

"These must have been the factors taken into consideration while making India's Democracy Index. Hence, India slipped to 51st ranking. Will the Central government and their supporters now accept that there is uncertainty in the minds of citizens or not?," asked Shiv Sena.

India slipped 10 places to 51st position in the 2019 Democracy Index's global ranking, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit, which cited "erosion of civil liberties" in the country as the primary cause for the downtrend.

India's overall score fell from 7.23 in 2018 to 6.90 in the Index that provides a snapshot of the current state of democracy worldwide for 165 independent states and two territories.

Based on their total score, the countries are classified as one of four types of regime: "full democracy" (scores greater than 8); flawed democracy - scores greater than 6 and less than or equal to 8; hybrid regime - scores greater than 4 and less than or equal to 6; authoritarian regime - scores less than or equal to 4".

The democracy score is based on five parameters: electoral process and pluralism, functioning of government, political participation, political culture and civil liberties.

India was pushed down to the "flawed democracy" category.

Reacting to this, Shiv Sena said the Narendra Modi government will now term this slip as a "conspiracy by enemy nation".

"Always blame others for your doings. The government keeps announcing big figures on generation of employment development. If that is true then why does government keep asking money from Reserve Bank of India?," Shiv Sena asked.