UN expresses concern over mass detentions at Delhi protests; India calls remarks ‘misplaced’

India has rejected the United Nations’ concerns over reports of mass detentions of protesters in New Delhi, calling the remarks “misplaced” and an “unwarranted interference” in its internal affairs.

In a post on X, the UN said it was concerned about reports of mass detentions involving demonstrators, protest leaders, members of civil society organisations, lawyers and journalists before and during large-scale demonstrations in the national capital.

The UN called on Indian authorities to fully respect the right to peaceful assembly, stressing that restrictions on peaceful protests must meet strict tests of necessity and proportionality.

It also urged law enforcement agencies to exercise utmost restraint while dealing with peaceful protesters and called for the immediate and unconditional release of all those arbitrarily detained. The UN further asked authorities to engage in meaningful dialogue to address the demonstrators' concerns.

Responding to the remarks, the account of the Indian embassy at the UN in Geneva said the right to peaceful assembly was guaranteed by the Constitution and safeguarded by robust institutions, an independent judiciary and a free media.

“India is the world’s largest democracy,” it said, adding that citizens exercised their right to peaceful assembly subject to reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order.

It maintained that the authorities acted in accordance with the law and that Indian courts remained available to address grievances.

“The OHCHR’s (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights) concerns are therefore misplaced and constitute an unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of India,” the Indian embassy said.

It also urged the OHCHR to devote comparable attention to large-scale protests elsewhere, arguing that its mandate required impartiality and non-selectivity.

The exchange comes amid large-scale demonstrations in New Delhi demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar following allegations of voter deletions through Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

The UN is raising concerns over the reported detentions, and India is defending the actions of its authorities.