India today called out Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for its double standards and approach of extreme selectivity when it comes to public positions, while rejecting the organisation’s remarks on yesterday’s events in New Delhi. In a statement, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described the OHCHR’s remarks as unwarranted and an unacceptable interference in country’s internal affairs. Mr. Jaiswal said that violent responses to protests in India’s neighbourhood, as well as law enforcement actions in the organisation’s own vicinity, had gone unremarked. He stressed that such double standards only erode the credibility of its standing and contribute to the loss of faith in multilateralism.
The spokesperson highlighted that India is the world’s largest democracy, where the right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed by the Constitution and safeguarded by robust institutions, an independent judiciary and a free media. He further stated that Indian citizens exercise this right subject to the maintenance of public order and safety. Mr Jaiswal added that law enforcement authorities act strictly in accordance with the law, and country’s courts remain available to all for the redressal of any grievances.
