India has rejected the references in the report of UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, terming them politically motivated and highly malicious.
In response to media queries on the Committee’s report following India’s 11th periodic review under the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India participated in the spirit of constructive engagement as a routine treaty-body review.
The Spokesperson said, as a country that played a leading role in negotiating and drafting ICERD in the 1960s, India’s commitment to combating racial discrimination remains unwavering. During the review, India highlighted it’s constitutional safeguards, robust legal framework, pluralism and sustained efforts to protect disadvantaged communities.
He further mentioned that the inter-Ministerial delegation led by the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had already rejected the sweeping generalisations, unsubstantiated allegations, or tendency to exceed the Convention’s mandate during the review meeting. He also highlighted that India’s Mission in Geneva had already issued a detailed press release following the CERD Review.
