Repressive measures against minorities and protesters in India have been criticised by US democracy watchdog Freedom House, in a report warning of democratic decline worldwide.

Key points: India's Government has promoted a Hindu nationalist agenda

India's Government has promoted a Hindu nationalist agenda Established democracies like Australia have seen scores decline for 14 years

Established democracies like Australia have seen scores decline for 14 years The Asia-Pacific remains an underachiever in terms of democratic progress

Its Freedom in the World report 2020 targets the world's largest democracy for a "harsh crackdown on political rights and civil liberties" including an almost seven-month internet shutdown in the formerly autonomous region of Kashmir.

The controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), a citizenship register in the state of Assam rendering millions stateless, the suppression of protests, as well as violence and harassment against journalists and academics, were also highlighted as "threatening the democratic future of a country long seen as a potential bulwark of freedom in Asia".

"The Indian Government's alarming departures from democratic norms under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could blur the values-based distinction between Beijing and New Delhi," the report warned.

The report drew comparisons between Donald Trump and Narendra Modi. ( Reuters: Adnan Abidi )

India's 1950 Constitution enshrines equal treatment for every religion.

But in recent decades, Hindu nationalists have increasingly challenged state secularism, arguing that India's identity is fundamentally a Hindu one.

The BJP denies its policies are anti-Muslim, but the country's Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah has referred to Muslims in the state of Assam as "termites".

The Indian Government was contacted for comment on the report but had not responded by time of publication.

Violence, internet blackouts and discrimination

The CAA is currently being challenged in India's Supreme Court. Critics say it, and the citizenship register, are designed to deliberately target Muslims for expulsion and exclusion.

"If you cannot prove you are an Indian citizen, then you will be effectively treated as an illegal migrant," said Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, foreign editor of the Hindustan Times.

"Therefore if you are a Muslim Indian who doesn't have the proper documents, then you would theoretically be in danger of being thrown out of the country."

People from nomadic tribes and other communities protest against the CAA in Mumbai. ( AP: Rajanish Kakade )

According to Freedom House: "Tens of thousands of Indians from all religious backgrounds have taken to the streets to protest this jarring attack on their country's character, but they have faced police violence in return."

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To quell recent protests, Mr Modi's Government invoked a colonial-era law banning public gatherings. Internet blackouts have been enacted in some states.

"It's very concerning to see that the kinds of repression that we've seen in much more authoritarian contexts are getting repeated in a democracy," Sarah Repucci, lead author of the report, told the ABC.

Many have drawn comparisons between recent violence in Delhi and intercommunal riots in Gujarat that killed some 1,000 people — mostly Muslims — when Mr Modi was chief minister.

"2002 is one of the worst pogroms in this country," Shabnam Hashmi, an activist, recently told the ABC.

"I have documented stories of gang rape survivors there … the bodies of women were used as battlefields."

Established democracies in decline

Freedom House also criticised the administration of US President Donald Trump, which it said had "failed to exhibit consistent commitment to a foreign policy based on the principles of democracy and human rights".

Freedom House also condemned what it said were attempts to domestically undermine electoral integrity, judicial independence, safeguards against corruption and freedom of the press.

It said the US, along with 24 other established democracies including Australia, had suffered overall declines over the past 14 years.

"Leaders feel they have licence to infringe on certain rights and that people are going to tolerate it in the name of national security," lead author Ms Repucci said.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 37 seconds 37 s Australian Federal Police raid the ABC offices in Sydney

While Australia rated 97 out of 100 — one of the highest democracy scores in the world on the Index — police raids against journalists and detention of asylum seekers saw Australia's score decline by one point for 2020.

"We've been very concerned for a number of years with the situation on Nauru," Ms Repucci said.

"Due to the nature of our methodology, we downgrade Nauru for Australia's behaviour there."

Freedom House has raised concern over Australia's detention of asylum seekers. ( AAP: Department of Immigration )

'Cautious optimism' for Asia

The Asia-Pacific region remained an underperformer on Freedom House's Index for 2020.

It highlighted China's extensive breaches of civil liberties and human rights, describing Beijing's "totalitarian offensive" against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang as "one of the year's most appalling examples of domestic repression".

Internationally, it expressed concern at "transnational censorship and propaganda activities", including denunciation of foreign media outlets for critical reporting of China.

Elsewhere in the region democratic progress had stalled or was regressing, Ms Repucci said.

"Malaysia, we had so much hope, it was one of our success stories a couple of years ago," she said, referring to recent political developments in the South-East Asian country.

A new Prime Minister, Muhyuddin Yassin, was sworn in on Sunday after 94-year-old Mahathir Mohamad resigned after a week of political turmoil. Critics say the move violates the democratic mandate won by Dr Mahathir's coalition.

Freedom House had believed there was a case for "cautious optimism" in the Muslim-majority nation after an historic election in 2018 saw a progressive coalition win power, she said.

"Part of the trouble in Asia right now is that all of the optimism is cautious. There aren't a lot of strong stories that show a turnaround."

But India's strong civil society may yet frustrate attempts to marginalise minorities and erode democratic institutions, she added.

"It's going to depend to what extent Modi is willing to push to maintain his grip on power and whether he will compromise Indian institutions, particularly the judiciary, to work in his favour," Ms Repucci said.