Unwarranted:India slams UN's remarks over remarks on Delhi protests

India has rejected the UN Human Rights Office’s (OHCHR) remarks on the events in New Delhi, calling its concerns “misplaced” and accusing it of unwarranted interference in the country’s internal affairs. In a statement, New Delhi posted on its India at UN account on X, saying OHCHR's concerns were misplaced and that the UN body should devote its attention to "large-scale" protests elsewhere. 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.

We have seen the OHCHR’s remarks about today’s events in New Delhi. 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. As in every democracy, Indian citizens exercise this right 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 OHCHR’s concerns are therefore misplaced and constitute an unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of India. In this context, OHCHR would also do well to devote comparable attention to large-scale protests elsewhere, consistent with its mandate of impartiality and non-selectivity. @MEAIndia @IndianDiplomacy @PMOIndia @DrSJaishankar @abagchimea

— India at UN, Geneva (@IndiaUNGeneva) October 10, 2026

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.