The exchange followed Saturday’s police action against demonstrators demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over disputed changes to electoral rolls, with more than 7,000 people reportedly detained across the national capital.
India has rejected the UN Human Rights Office’s criticism of mass detentions during protests in New Delhi, describing its intervention as “misplaced” and an intrusion into domestic affairs.
In a statement shared on X, the Indian mission defended the country’s constitutional protections and said the authorities were acting within the law. “India is the world’s largest democracy, where the right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed by our Constitution and safeguarded by robust institutions, an independent judiciary and a free media,” the statement said. “The OHCHR’s concerns are therefore misplaced and constitute an unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of India,” it said. The OHCHR said the right to peaceful assembly must be protected and called on the authorities to ensure that restrictions on demonstrations were necessary and proportionate.
It maintained that citizens could exercise their right to peaceful assembly, subject to reasonable restrictions necessary to maintain public order. The mission also pointed out that Indian courts were available to anyone seeking legal redress against government action. The diplomatic response followed a statement by UN Human Rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan, who expressed concern over reports of widespread detentions before and during the demonstrations.
Among those detained were former chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee and Pinarayi Vijayan, according to television reports cited by Reuters.
