So said Card. Oswald Gracias, Metropolitan Archbishop of Bombay, interviewed by Asianews.
In India, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of the Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi won. It was clearly the most voted party, but it did not obtain an absolute majority of the seats, as was the case in 2014 and 2019, and therefore will not be able to govern without alliances with other parties.
Modi has ruled India for ten years, during which he has built an established system of power, restricting the democratic freedoms of the press, opposition and religious minorities.
The opposition, led by the Congress party, which ruled for years after the country’s independence, headed by Rahul Gandhi, fared better than expected.
“I am happy that democracy is flourishing in India,’ Cardinal Msgr. Gracias commented. ‘It shows that people are politically aware and voting rightly. Whatever government comes to power, the Church will certainly cooperate”, he added. “It gives us joy to think that the whole process took place in a peaceful and orderly manner, this shows that there will also be healthy opposition. I think this is good for the country, for democracy and for the future”. Moreover, the Church is “politically aware and conscious of the needs of the people and the needs of the country. I am happy that the turnout was quite good, although it could have been better, and that people took the elections seriously”.
“The Indian people have given up the divisive and hateful politics of some political parties, and have resoundingly opted for a more socially inclusive and politically transparent system of government”, commented Fr Babu Joseph, former spokesperson of the Bishops’ Conference of India.
