New Delhi: The External Affairs Ministry of India on Thursday said that the United Nations human rights body is making “baseless and unfounded allegations” against India’s law enforcement authorities and armed forces and criticizing the arrest of a Kashmiri rights activist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
In a statement, the MEA spokesperson Adrindam Bagchi said that the statement made by the spokesperson of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) “betrays a complete lack of understanding” of the security challenges faced by India from cross border militancy and its impact on the ‘Right to Life’ of Indian citizens.
“As a democratic country, with an abiding commitment to promote and protect the human rights of its citizens, India takes all necessary steps to counter cross border militancy,” Bagchi said, urging the UN agency to develop a “better understanding of the negative impact of militancy on human rights.”
The statement comes after the OHCHR raised concern over the arrest of prominent Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez under the UAPA.
On Wednesday, UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Rupert Colvill reiterated the call to amend the UAPA to “bring it into line with international human rights law and standards.” Colvill also urged Indian authorities to refrain from using the law in cases involving civil society, media, and activists.
However, Parvez’s arrest has been widely criticized. Various internationally recognized rights bodies and activists criticized his arrest and demanded his immediate release.
On Thursday, six international human rights organizations in a joint statement have sought the immediate release of Parvez and asked the Government of India to follow the human rights laws.
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