Blinken issues veiled warning on democracy, rights in India

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a veiled warning yesterday about Indian democracy backsliding in his first official visit to New Delhi. 

Rights groups say civil liberties and the space for dissent are under increasing attack in the world's biggest democracy under Modi's government.

Blinken told civil society groups that the US and India are "connected by shared values" such as rule of law and freedom of religion. But he added: "Both of our democracies are works in progress... As I said before, sometimes that process is painful. Sometimes it's ugly. But the strength of democracy is to embrace it."

Blinken left for Kuwait later yesterday.