Rubio questions credibility of UN experts criticising Indian government's handling of CJP protests
text_fields
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio questioned the credibility of UN experts who criticised India’s handling of protests demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
He called the term “UN experts” an “oxymoron”.
More than 20 UN human rights experts on Tuesday called for an independent investigation into the handling of the demonstrations. They alleged excessive force against peaceful protesters, arbitrary detentions and restrictions on public assemblies.
Asked about the criticism, Rubio said the US would not interfere in India’s domestic political affairs. He described public demonstrations and the expression of differing opinions as features of democracy.
“This is a democracy. They have elections here. So I am not going to opine on their domestic political matters,” he said.
Rubio distinguished peaceful demonstrations from violent unrest, saying public expressions of dissent reflected political discourse and differences of opinion. He also cited Cuba as an example of a country where opposition voices face restrictions and risk imprisonment or exile.
The protests were organised by opposition parties and student groups demanding Kumar’s resignation over the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Protesters have questioned the deletion of names from voter lists and alleged irregularities in the exercise.
The Election Commission has defended the revision, saying it aims to remove duplicate entries and the names of deceased, shifted, and otherwise ineligible voters. It has also said affected individuals can appeal.
India has rejected international criticism of its handling of the protests, describing it as interference in the country’s internal affairs.
At the United Nations, Indian diplomat Barkha Tamrakar defended India’s constitutional safeguards. She said human rights should not be used as an instrument of political pressure or selective targeting of countries.