Needless concern

India on said that the concerns raised by the UN’s top human rights official over its electoral process are unwarranted and do not reflect the reality of the world’s largest democracy, as New Delhi highlighted that many across the globe seek to learn from its electoral experience and aspire to emulate it.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva Ambassador Arindam Bagchi said Delhi has noted comments by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk about the country’s forthcoming general elections.

In his global update to the 55th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Turk voiced concern by “increasing restrictions on the civic space – with human rights defenders, journalists and perceived critics targeted – as well as by hate speech and discrimination against minorities, especially Muslims.”

However, his concerns in this regard are unwarranted and do not reflect the reality of the largest democracy in the world,” Bagchi said. Bagchi underlined that in any democracy, “argumentation is natural. It is imperative that those in positions of authority do not allow their judgment to be clouded by propaganda.”