Amnesty International Criticises Modi Govt's Rights Record

LONDON: Human rights group Amnesty International criticised the Narendra Modi-led government, saying under the new regime India had witnessed a rise in communal violence and its Land Acquisition Ordinance has put thousands of Indians at “risk” of forcible eviction.

In its Annual Report 2015, released here, Amnesty highlighted poll-related violence in the lead-up to the May 2014 General Elections, communal clashes and failure of consultation on corporate projects as key concerns.

“National elections in May saw a government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party come to power with a landslide victory.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who campaigned on promises of good governance and development for all, made commitments to improve access to financial services and sanitation for people living in poverty.

“However, the government took steps towards reducing requirements to consult with communities affected by corporate-led projects,” Amnesty said in its report.

The report highlighted that “the authorities continued to violate people’s rights to privacy and freedom of expression. There was a rise in communal violence in Uttar Pradesh and some other states and corruption, caste-based discrimination and caste violence remained pervasive.”

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