Unwarranted interference: India's sharp response to UN rights body over remarks on Delhi protest crackdown

India also urged the UN human rights office to pay comparable attention to large-scale protests in other parts of the world, saying it should act in accordance with its mandate of impartiality and non-selectivity.Delhi Police said around 3,000 people detained under the Delhi Police Act were released on Saturday evening. (Credits - PTI)India has hit back at the United Nations human rights office over its remarks on the detention of protesters during large-scale demonstrations in Delhi organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), calling its concerns “misplaced” and an “unwarranted interference” in the country's internal affairs.In a statement posted on X, India's Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva said the right to peaceful assembly was guaranteed by the Constitution and safeguarded by the country's institutions, independent judiciary and free media.The response came after the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) expressed concern over reports of mass detentions of demonstrators, protest leaders, civil society members, lawyers and journalists before and during the protests in the national capital.“The OHCHR’s concerns are therefore misplaced and constitute an unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of India,” the Indian mission said. India also urged the UN human rights office to pay comparable attention to large-scale protests in other parts of the world, saying it should act in accordance with its mandate of impartiality and non-selectivity.WHAT INDIA SAID ABOUT THE RIGHT TO PROTEST Emphasising India's democratic credentials, the mission said citizens were entitled to exercise their right to peaceful assembly, subject to reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order. “The authorities, for their part, act in accordance with the law, and our courts remain available to all for redressal of any grievances,” the statement said.India maintained that its constitutional safeguards, institutional framework and judicial remedies provided avenues for citizens to raise grievances.UN EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER MASS DETENTIONS Earlier, UN Human Rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said the OHCHR was concerned by reports of mass detentions linked to the demonstrations in Delhi.“We call on the authorities to ensure that the right to peaceful assembly is fully respected and fulfilled,” Al-Kheetan said.The UN spokesperson stressed that restrictions on peaceful protests must satisfy strict tests of necessity and proportionality. The authorities were also urged to ensure that law enforcement personnel exercised “utmost restraint” in responding to peaceful demonstrators.The OHCHR called for the immediate and unconditional release of all those arbitrarily detained and urged the Indian authorities to engage in meaningful dialogue to address the concerns raised by protesters.- Ends