India pushes back against UN criticism over the handling of youth-led protests (Img: X)
New Delhi: India has pushed back against international criticism of its handling of recent youth-led protests, arguing that human rights concerns should not be used to exert political pressure or single out individual countries. At the United Nations, New Delhi also cautioned against drawing conclusions from unverified allegations and incomplete data.
Barkha Tamrakar, Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, presented India's position at the UN General Assembly's Third Committee during discussions concerning the Working Group on Enforced Disappearances.
#IndiaAtUN
@BarkhaTamrakar, Deputy Secretary @MEAIndia delivered 🇮🇳’s statement at UNGA Third Committee on the Agenda Item “Working Group on Enforced Disappearances” the following :
➡️ Reaffirmed that Article 21, habeas corpus, the NHRC and State Human Rights Commissions, independent media and civil society provide safeguards, transparency and avenues for redressal against enforced disappearances.
➡️ Called enforced disappearances grave human-rights violations and urged prevention, accountability and protection of civil society.
➡️ Noted that 🇮🇳 has signed the Convention on Enforced Disappearances and stressed that law enforcement is bound by law.
➡️ 🇮🇳 called for engagement based on dialogue, cooperation, non-selectivity and transparency.
@PMOIndia @IndianDiplomacy @PIB_India @airnewsalerts @DDNewslive
— India at UN, NY (@IndiaUNNewYork) October 21, 2026
Tamrakar said India's engagement with international human rights mechanisms should be guided by dialogue, consultation, cooperation, transparency and impartiality. She urged delegates to interpret reports accurately and avoid treating humanitarian communications as definitive judgments.
Speaking at the UNGA Third Committee, Ministry of External Affairs Deputy Secretary Barkha Tamrakar stressed that "Human rights not to be used as an instrument of political pressure or selective country targeting."
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India also objected to attempts to portray the country negatively on the basis of allegations that it considers unverified or statistics that may not provide a complete picture. The delegation maintained that specific, properly documented cases could be addressed through established channels.
India's response comes amid growing scrutiny of the police handling of youth-led demonstrations in New Delhi. On October 20, more than 20 UN human rights experts expressed concern over what they described as a repeated heavy-handed response to peaceful protests.
#India: UN experts alarmed by heavy-handed police response to peaceful youth-led demonstrations. “Despite the non-violent nature of the assemblies, law enforcement has deployed force against unarmed students”
https://t.co/2IWZzG8BFx https://t.co/6AYK9ny2T2
— UN Special Procedures (@UN_SPExperts) October 20, 2026
The experts called on Indian authorities to safeguard the right to peaceful assembly and ensure accountability for reported human rights violations. Their concerns included alleged excessive use of force, restrictions on demonstrations and arbitrary detentions.
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The criticism has brought the government's approach to public protests under renewed international attention.
India has previously questioned statements by UN human rights bodies concerning protest-related detentions in the national capital, describing such interventions as unwarranted interference in its internal affairs.
The latest exchange highlights the continuing disagreement between New Delhi and international human rights experts over how allegations should be assessed and communicated. While India has stressed the importance of fairness and non-selectivity, UN experts have called for the protection of peaceful protesters and investigations into reported abuses.
