India hits out at UN human rights over detention remarks at Delhi protests, calls concerns ‘misplaced’ | Today’s news
India rejected concerns raised by the UN Human Rights Office over the detentions during the New Delhi demonstrations, calling the remarks “misplaced” and “unwarranted interference” in the country’s internal affairs. The protests were linked to demands by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and others for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid fears of a Special Intensive Review (SIR) of electoral rolls.
In response issued This was stated by the Indian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva on Saturday, October 10 the right to peaceful assembly was guaranteed by the constitution and protected by the country’s democratic institutions, an independent judiciary and a free media.
The answer came after Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) expressed concern over reports of detention of protesters, leaders, civil society members, lawyers and journalists before and during the demonstrations in Delhi.
India also urged the UN Human Rights Office to pay comparable attention to large-scale protests in other parts of the world, saying it needed impartiality and non-selectivity in its work.
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India called the concerns “misplaced” and “unwarranted interference” in its internal affairs. She said the right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed by the constitution and protected by democratic institutions.
The authority cited reports of the detention of protesters, protest leaders, civil society members, lawyers and journalists before and during the demonstrations in Delhi.
India has said that the right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed by the Constitution. She also pointed to the role of democratic institutions, an independent judiciary and a free media in protecting this right.
India urged the authority to pay comparable attention to large-scale protests in other parts of the world. She said this was necessary to ensure impartiality and non-selectivity.
The office called on the authorities to respect peaceful gatherings, exercise restraint and immediately release those it said were arbitrarily detained. She also called for meaningful dialogue to address the protesters’ concerns.
India calls UN human rights remarks ‘unwarranted interference’
In its response, India said that peaceful assembly is a constitutional right, but noted that its exercise is subject to reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order.
“India is the world’s largest democracy where the right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed by our constitution and protected by strong institutions, an independent judiciary and a free media,” the Indian mission said.
It added that the authorities acted in accordance with the law and that the courts remained available to citizens seeking redress of grievances.
“The OHCHR’s concerns are therefore well founded and constitute an unwarranted interference in India’s internal affairs,” the statement said.
India also questioned what it described as the UN agency’s approach to protests across different countries.
“In this context, OHCHR would also do well to pay comparable attention to large-scale protests elsewhere in line with its mandate of impartiality and non-selectivity,” the mission added.
The UN human rights organization is concerned about the reported mass detentions
The The UN human rights office has previously expressed concern over reports of mass detentions in connection with the protests in Delhi.
“We are concerned by reports of mass detentions of protesters, protest leaders, members of civil society organizations, lawyers and journalists in India before and during today’s large-scale demonstrations in Delhi,” the OHCHR said.
The UN Office called on the Indian authorities to ensure full respect and observance of the right to peaceful assembly.
The authority also called for the immediate and unconditional release of anyone arbitrarily detained.
“All those arbitrarily arrested must be released immediately and unconditionally,” the statement said.
The UN Human Rights Office further urged the authorities to engage in meaningful dialogue to address the concerns raised by the protesters.
Row follows large-scale demonstrations in Delhi
The exchange comes at a time of heightened tension surrounding widespread demonstrations in the state capital. The protests were linked to demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid fears of a special intensive review (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Over 7,000 detained as 30,000 security personnel deployed to thwart CJP march
Over 7,000 protesters, including Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leader Abhijit Dipke, several opposition leaders, activists and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, were detained in Delhi on Saturday as authorities foiled a planned mass mobilization at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The security deployment, which included more than 30,000 police and paramilitary personnel, left the designated protest site largely deserted. Multiple layers of barricades, movement restrictions and the closure of 45 metro stations disrupted movement in parts of the national capital.
The protest was organized by the CJP amid the controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Opposition parties criticized the detention, with Congress chief Rahul Gandhi urging young people to continue protesting and accusing the government of attacking the constitution.
The extent of the detention remained disputed in initial police statements. Delhi Police sources earlier said around 1,000 protesters were detained when they tried to march towards Jantar Mantar.
In Lutyens’ Delhi, barricades were erected and intensive checks were carried out at border crossings, railway stations, bus terminals, hotels and other sensitive places.
Authorities also monitored social media platforms for attempts to mobilize protesters. More than 200 content creators were reportedly under scrutiny as police investigated online posts and messages linked to the proposed rally.
Dipke, Dhruv Rathee and opposition leaders detained
CJP convener Abhijit Dipke and party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained at the Delhi airport after arriving from Mumbai, according to the account provided.
In a video shared by the CJP, Dipke was heard telling policemen who boarded the plane, “We are here to be arrested, come and arrest us.
Before detaining the CJP leaders, the police personnel told them that they did not have permission to hold the protest at Jantar Mantar.
Dipke accused the authorities of treating party leaders like criminals and called the action dictatorial.
YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, who lives abroad and traveled to India to join the demonstration, was detained at his residence in Gurugram’s Sector 56 on Saturday.
Several opposition leaders were also detained at various locations in the capital, including former chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party, Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress and Pinarayi Vijayan and Manik Sarkar, both associated with the CPI(M).
Rahul Gandhi urges youth to continue protests
The detention drew sharp criticism from opposition leaders who likened the government’s response to a state of emergency.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi expressed solidarity with the protesting youth and urged them to continue their demonstrations.
He called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to arrest all the protesters and said they will continue to fight to defend the constitution and protect the voice of the Indian people.
“We will ensure that this regime and the people who attacked the constitution are defeated,” Gandhi said, calling on young people to “keep protesting”.
The opposition says the detentions undermine democratic freedoms and the right to peaceful protest. Authorities, meanwhile, cited a lack of permits for the proposed gathering and maintained a tight security presence in the city.
A senior police officer said several First Information Reports (FIRs) were likely to be registered in connection with the alleged attack on police personnel.
Regular notices were issued at Jantar Mantar instructing the public and the media not to congregate at one place.
The clashes came amid extensive security checks and restrictions on movement across the capital, with commuters advised to follow official announcements and plan their journeys accordingly.
Read also | CJP protests Day 1: Barricades, detentions and traffic curbs; how it developed
Sonam Wangchuk threatens a peaceful protest if the detainees are not released
Activist Sonam said she would consider starting a peaceful protest, including a hunger strike or a march in Leh or Delhi, if the detained protesters were not released within 24 hours.
Wangchuk had participated in the CJP’s earlier 36-day agitation at Jantar Mantar over the NEET paper leak issue, which ended on July 25 following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, according to a supplied account.
This agitation also witnessed disruption during the march towards Parliament on 20 July when security personnel tried to stop the protesters.
Wangchuk’s latest warning increases pressure on authorities to address the detentions and demands made by protesters.
Around 400 people were detained during solidarity protests in Mumbai
Demonstrations and detentions spread beyond Delhi, with police detaining around 400 people in Mumbai during protests held in solidarity with the proposed CJP march.
Those detained reportedly included actor Imran Khan, activist Tushar Gandhi and CPI(M) workers.
Demonstrations were held at August Kranti Maidan, Hutatma Chowk and other places across the city. The police detained the participants on the grounds that the protests were held without a permit.
The immediate flashpoint remains the CJP’s demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid concerns over a particularly intensive revision of electoral rolls.
Read also | CJP calls for fresh protests at Jantar Mantar tomorrow: All We Know
