India calls UN remarks on Delhi protest ‘unwarranted’, slams ‘unacceptable interference’

India on October 11 rejected concerns raised by the United Nations human rights chief over security measures and reported detentions linked to a proposed demonstration in Delhi, describing the remarks as “unwarranted” and an “unacceptable interference” in the country's internal affairs.

Responding to the concerns, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India guaranteed the right to peaceful assembly under its Constitution and had strong institutions to safeguard democratic freedoms.

“India is the world’s largest democracy, where the right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed by our Constitution and safeguarded by robust institutions, an independent judiciary and a free media,” the ministry said in an official statement.

The MEA maintained that the exercise of this right, as in other democracies, was subject to the need to maintain public order and ensure public safety. It added that law enforcement agencies operated within the law and that courts remained accessible to those seeking legal remedies.

New Delhi also criticised the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), accusing it of applying selective standards in its public statements. The ministry questioned the body's response to alleged violent crackdowns on demonstrations in neighbouring countries and policing operations near its own headquarters.

“Such double standards only erode the credibility of its standing and contribute to the loss of faith in multilateralism,” the MEA said.

India's response came a day after the UN human rights chief expressed concern over reports of mass detentions involving protesters, organisers, civil society representatives, lawyers and media personnel before and during large-scale rallies in Delhi.

The UN official urged Indian authorities to uphold the right to peaceful assembly and ensure that any restrictions on protests met strict standards of necessity and proportionality.

“We call on the authorities to ensure that the right to peaceful assembly is fully respected and fulfilled. Restrictions on peaceful protests must meet strict tests of necessity and proportionality,” the high commissioner said.

The proposed demonstration, organised by the CJP, called for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The mobilisation prompted a significant security deployment in the national capital, with several political figures and demonstrators reportedly detained during the enforcement measures.