Spies from the fascist Modi government upset a trite national security narrative

For years the media has told us that, while the Xi Jinping regime in China and Vladimir Putin’s monstrous government in Russia were our biggest threats, the “world’s biggest democracy” of India was our great ally and key partner against China.

When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Australia in 2023, The Australian fawned over him. “Mr Modi’s visit to Sydney … was a powerful tour de force that sent a message Beijing would be foolish to ignore,” it simpered in an editorial. “It has put the world’s most populous nation, with its huge army and vast potential, firmly where it belongs — at the heart of the defence of democracy and freedom in our region.