Ready to help Switzerland address ‘racism, discrimination, xenophobia’: India

New York: Kshitij Tyagi, India’s representative in Geneva hit back at Switzerland after it questioned India’s minority protection and safeguarding of free expression, saying the European country’s remarks are ‘surprising, shallow, and ill-informed’.

Speaking at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Swiss diplomat Michael Meier said ‘In India, we call on the government to take effective measures to protect minorities and uphold the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of media’.

Countering Swiss diplomat’s remarks, Kshitij Tyagi pointed to ‘racism, systematic discrimination, and xenophobia’ in the European nation, adding that ‘India remains ready to help Switzerland to address these concerns’.

Tyagi called India ‘the world’s largest, most diverse and vibrant democracy with a civilisational embrace of pluralism.’

Tyagi urged Switzerland, which currently hold HRC presidency’ to avoid ‘wasting the council’s time with narratives that are blatantly forced and do not do justice to the reality of India’.

Michael Meier expressed concern at violence in Serbia, abductions of women in Syria, and curbs on free assembly in Turkiey.