Please protect the Ganga.

"India is not seen as measuring up to the high standards of liberal Western democracies." "The West's rhetoric of 'democratic backsliding' in India is hypocritical." During the ongoing general elections "a flurry of articles has appeared in Western mainstream media and journals associated with think tanks which regurgitate all the old arguments about...curbing of freedom of speech, constraints on the independence of the judiciary, controls over institutions." wrote Kanwal Sibal. Freedom of speech - "India had the longest internet shutdown in 2023 in terms of user hours." "In total, the internet was completely affected for 7,956 hours in India, impacting 59.1 million users." "Between 2012 and 2022, the country witnessed 683 internet shutdowns - the highest in the world." And, "shutdowns by law enforcement agencies like the one in Manipur and Punjab cost the Indian economy $1.9 billion in the first half of 2023." ET. Censorship is expensive. For us. The Judiciary - "February 26 marks a year since Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia's arrest in the excise policy case," "with the courts denying him bail on multiple occasions." India Today. Why he has to be in prison while agencies go on a fishing expedition to try and find any hint of evidence is a mystery. There is no suggestion of violence and, as Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, there is absolutely no possibility of him fleeing the country. In contrast, Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, convicted of murder and rape, has been released on parole 7 times in the past 24 months. He was seen cutting a birthday cake with a sword. NDTV. "If the law supposes that," said Mr Bumble, squeezing his hat emphatically in both hands, "the law is a ass - a idiot." Charles Dickens. Institutions - A law passed in December 2023, just 4 months before the general election, changed the composition of the committee to appoint the Chief Election Commissioner and the two Election Commissioners (EC). While the previous committee consisted of "the prime minister, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, or the leader of the largest opposition party in the House and the Chief Justice of India," the new committee consists of "the prime minister, the Union cabinet minister, and leader of the opposition". Mint. As biased as it can get. Proof of bias - "Prime Minister Narendra Modi struck a controversial note during his election campaign...when he alleged that if Congress comes to power it will implement its manifesto that promises equitable distribution of wealth and alleged this will mean taking away even the Mangal Sutra of women and giving their gold to Muslims. He described Muslims as 'illegal immigrants' who produce many children." ET. Communal hate speech. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath claimed that the Congress manifesto "has expressed its intention to implement 'Sharia Law' in the country and redistribute people's property." Absolutely untrue. Yet, not a peep from the EC. Perhaps, Mr Modi and Mr Adityanath could visit the holy city of Haridwar which has seen a huge influx of Muslims who have built thousands of shacks along the River Ganga. Why have they been allowed to enter India illegally when the Border Security Force (BSF) is under control of the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India? mha.gov.in. Why blame the Congress when Mr Modi's government is allowing Muslims to enter unchecked? At least protect the Ganga. It is holy.