India strongly rejected comments made by UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk in his global update at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Speaking at the UN, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Mr Arindam Bagchi, called the remarks unfounded and baseless, saying they did not reflect the reality on the ground.
Bagchi emphasized that India is the world’s largest democracy with a vibrant and diverse society. He criticized Turk’s reference to Kashmir and Manipur and used Kashmir instead of Jammu and Kashmir. Mr Bagchi highlighted Jammu and Kashmir’s high voter turnout, booming tourism, and rapid development.
India also expressed concern over the UN report’s oversimplifications and cherry-picking of issues. Mr Bagchi urged the UN rights office to take a long and hard look in the mirror.
Turk’s update covered various global conflicts, including Ukraine and Gaza, but did not mention Pakistan.
