US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday questioned the credibility of UN experts who criticised India’s handling of protests demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. Calling the phrase “UN experts” an “oxymoron”, Rubio said demonstrations and political disagreements were part of democratic discourse.
His remarks came a day after more than 20 UN human rights experts called for an independent investigation into the handling of recent protests in India. The experts alleged excessive force against peaceful demonstrators, arbitrary detentions and restrictions on public assemblies.
Asked about the protests and the UN criticism, Rubio said Washington would not comment on India’s domestic political affairs.
Rubio Defends Peaceful Demonstrations
Rubio said public demonstrations were a feature of democratic societies, distinguishing peaceful expressions of dissent from violent unrest. He clarified that his comments about people expressing political differences applied to countries generally and were not specifically directed at India.
He also referred to Cuba as an example of a country where opposition voices, according to him, face restrictions and risk imprisonment, oppression or exile.
Rubio’s response did not directly address the specific allegations raised by the UN experts. Instead, he emphasised the role of political debate and elections in democratic systems.
UN Experts Seek Independent Investigation
More than 20 UN human rights experts called on Tuesday for an independent investigation into the handling of recent demonstrations. They alleged that authorities had used excessive force against peaceful protesters, carried out arbitrary detentions and restricted the right to public assembly.
The experts urged Indian authorities to investigate reported human rights violations and end what they described as excessive force against unarmed demonstrators.
India has previously rejected international criticism of its handling of the protests, describing such interventions as interference in its internal affairs. Indian diplomat Barkha Tamrakar defended the country’s constitutional safeguards at the United Nations, arguing that human rights should not be used for political pressure or selective targeting based on unverified allegations or incomplete statistics.
Protests Linked to Electoral Roll Revision
The demonstrations involve 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.
Conversation
Be kind and stay on topic. Comments are moderated; abuse, spam and personal attacks are removed. Report a problem