Last Updated on October 11, 2026 12:53 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Bisheshwar Mishra / NEW DELHI
India has strongly rejected the remarks made by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) regarding recent events in New Delhi, terming them unwarranted and an unacceptable interference in the country’s internal affairs.
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs emphasised that as the world’s largest democracy, India guarantees the right to peaceful assembly under its Constitution, backed by robust institutions, an independent judiciary, and a free media. It noted that, like any democracy, these rights are exercised subject to public order and safety, with law enforcement authorities acting strictly according to the law and legal avenues available to all.
India also highlighted the OHCHR’s selective approach, pointing out that violent responses to protests in India’s neighbourhood and law enforcement actions in the UN body’s own vicinity have gone uncommented. New Delhi cautioned that such double standards seriously erode the credibility of multilateral institutions.
The United Nations Human Rights Office has expressed concern over reports of mass detentions of protesters, political and protest leaders, civil society members, lawyers and journalists in Delhi, urging Indian authorities to respect the right to peaceful assembly and immediately release all those arbitrarily detained.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the UN office called on the authorities to ensure that the right to peaceful assembly is fully respected and fulfilled. It stressed that restrictions on peaceful demonstrations must meet strict tests of necessity and proportionality.
The UN also urged law enforcement agencies to exercise the utmost restraint while dealing with peaceful protesters, in keeping with India’s democratic traditions and human rights obligations. It called for the immediate and unconditional release of all those arbitrarily detained and urged the authorities to engage in meaningful dialogue to address the concerns being raised by demonstrators.