The report also noted attacks on minorities, journalists, and dissenting voices throughout India.

In Manipur, the Indian tax authorities raided the BBC office without comment from the Indian embassy in Washington.

The report further mentioned numerous instances of government and its allies pressuring or harassing media outlets critical of the government in the rest of India.

In February 2020, clashes occurred in New Delhi between supporters and opposers of a contentious citizenship law, resulting in a burnt-out mosque being guarded by security personnel.

In early 2023, the Income Tax Department searched the BBC offices after the release of a critical documentary about Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India ranked at 161 out of 180 countries on the press freedom index in 2023.

The US assessment reported religious minorities experiencing discrimination, including calls for violence and misinformation spread.

Modi, who is running for a record-equaling third term in the ongoing election, denies abusing minorities and aims to benefit all Indians.

Human rights groups have accused the Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, of worsening the human rights climate in the country.

They cite an increase in hate speech, the revocation of special status for Muslim-majority Kashmir, a discriminatory citizenship law, and the demolition of Muslim properties as evidence.

The US recently released a report expressing concerns over these issues, but political analysts note that Washington is cautious in its public criticism of India due to hopes that it will serve as a counterbalance to China's expansionism.