Prashant Bhushan: India’s democracy is under attack

The unlikely hero of India’s left sits down with Asia Editor Adam Withnall to reflect on social media, how his contempt case gripped the nation, and why the fight against rising nationalism is like the ‘losing battle’ with climate change

Public interest lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan’s stand against the Supreme Court became a huge story in the Indian media (Adam Withnall/The Independent)

Prashant Bhushan was mentally prepared to go to jail. The 63-year-old lawyer had been found guilty of contempt by the Supreme Court of India over two tweets which, judges said, “sought to shake the foundation” of the entire justice system.

The tweets in question criticised both the current and several former chief justices of India, accusing the apex court of being complicit in the “destruction of India’s democracy” in the six years since Narendra Modi came to power.

Bhushan is unequivocal in his opinions about the current Hindu nationalist administration in Delhi, calling it “the most evil regime that has ever been seen in India, and perhaps even the world”.