The legitimacy of democracies is intrinsically tied to the credibility of their elections. It is natural to be concerned when serious questions emerge about the sanctity of the democratic process as has happened in recent days. Investigative reports suggest that a shadowy group of Israeli hackers and influence-shapers called ‘Team Jorge’, led by a former special operations agent, has infiltrated and interfered in elections in dozens of countries, including India. The revelation, coming months after allegations that the Indian government purchased sophisticated Israeli spyware for domestic surveillance, lend weight to worries that cutting-edge technology and influence operations, often with foreign backing, are playing a secret but increasingly critical role in framing political narratives and outcomes in India. That the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not directly denied the allegations in either case and merely attempted to distract from difficult questions should serve as a flashing red alert. Mr Modi’s government has not investigated the role of the Israeli spyware; now, the allegations involving Team Jorge suggest at the very least that it does not see these threats to democracy as serious enough to probe. The fact that it has not suffered any consequences for this refusal to act is an indictment of India’s current political landscape and the inability of the Opposition and the media to hold the government to account.

Instead, Mr Modi’s government has attempted to use an inconclusive Supreme Court investigation to distance itself from the spyware allegations. Amid the recent questions over Team Jorge’s operations in India, it has tried to shift the national focus towards comments by the billionaire philanthropist, George Soros, who has criticised Mr Modi and his ties with the industrialist, Gautam Adani, whose businesses have come under scrutiny. The BJP has accused Mr Soros of interfering in India’s democracy even though Mr Modi once effectively campaigned for Donald Trump when he was seeking re-election to the presidency of the United States of America. In fact, conspiracy theorists around the world have long used Mr Soros’s support for pro-democracy media and civil society groups to raise the spectre of foreign interference. Yet nothing undermines democracy more than spying on critics and spreading propaganda using the clandestine services of foreign firms. If this does not bother the government, it is legitimate to ask if it benefits from this erosion of democracy.