India’s BJP accuses the US ‘deep state’ of meddling – is it a ploy to cover its flaws?

Strongmen around the world have blamed foreign entities for domestic ills to woo their supporters, analysts say

Reading Time:3 minutes

Supporters of the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party hold cut-outs of India’s Prime Minister and their leader Narendra Modi at an election rally in Amritsar in May. Photo: AFP

Published: 7:38pm, 30 Dec 2024Updated: 7:49pm, 30 Dec 2024

Allegations by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that the US “deep state” is interfering in India’s affairs are seen by analysts as a move by the ruling party to bolster domestic support even if it risks worsening bilateral ties.

The American “deep state” is accused by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP of wrongdoings ranging from helping to disrupt parliamentary proceedings and manipulating stock markets to undermining the judiciary.

At a press conference on December 6, BJP spokesman Sambit Patra said the US State Department was “behind this agenda”.

A deep state refers to a secretive and powerful network that carries out unauthorised activities in the pursuit of its agenda without the involvement of a state’s leaders or agencies.

The accusations come even as India and the US have undertaken steps in recent months to improve relations on several fronts.

Modi was one of the first world leaders to congratulate US president-elect Donald Trump following the Republican’s election victory last month while Trump reciprocated by praising him and India as “a true friend” in a phone call. Both leaders had also met to discuss closer bilateral ties during Trump’s first term in the White House.