India Rejects UN Rights Office’s Concerns Over CJP Supporters’ Detention, Calls It ‘Interference’

India has rejected the UN Human Rights Office’s concerns over the detention of CJP supporters in Delhi, calling them interference in its internal affairs.

By Pranjal Gupta

New Delhi, October 11: India has criticised the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for raising concerns over the detention of hundreds of Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) supporters in Delhi, calling it “unwarranted interference in the country's internal affairs”.

In a strongly worded statement posted on its official India at UN account on X, New Delhi said the UN body's concerns were misplaced. It also suggested that the OHCHR should focus on “large-scale” protests taking place elsewhere.

“India is the world's largest democracy, where the right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed by our Constitution and safeguarded by robust institutions, an independent judiciary, and a free media. As in every democracy, Indian citizens exercise this right subject to reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order. The authorities, for their part, act in accordance with the law, and our courts remain available to all for the redressal of any grievances,” India said.

The UN Human Rights Office on Saturday said it had taken note of reports of mass detentions in Delhi on October 10, calling on Indian authorities to ensure that the right to peaceful assembly remained intact. It added that those detained arbitrarily must be released “immediately and unconditionally”.

“We are concerned by reports of mass detentions in India of demonstrators, protest leaders, members of civil society organisations, lawyers and journalists, before and during today’s large-scale demonstrations in Delhi,” UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said.

Visuals shared on X from one of the impromptu roadside protests after demonstrators were stopped from reaching Jantar Mantar, where they had planned to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

He added, “The Indian authorities should also ensure law enforcement forces exercise utmost restraint in response to peaceful protesters, consistent with the country’s democratic traditions and human rights obligations. All those arbitrarily detained must be immediately and unconditionally released.”

Nearly 7,000 Detained During Delhi Protests

Nearly 7,000 people were detained on Saturday by central forces and police personnel during a citywide lockdown in Delhi, as per a report by The Indian Express. The protesters were supposed to gather at Jantar Mantar following a call by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) to register their protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls.

More than 20,000 police personnel and paramilitary forces were deployed in the national capital ahead of the demonstration. As people turned up on Saturday, police detained them on buses and released them far from the protest site.

Following this, protesters staged sit-ins at different locations, including Raj Ghat, Dilli Haat, Safdarjung Flyover, Sansad Marg, Gole Mandir and Connaught Place, which was shut down as a large crowd was expected.

CJP Leaders Placed Under Preventive Arrest

Meanwhile, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were placed under preventive arrest after Delhi Police picked them up when their flight landed in the national capital.

A senior official said the trio would be produced before the Executive Magistrate at Delhi Cantt Police Station on Sunday.

Sections 126 (security for keeping peace) and 170 (arrest to prevent the commission of cognisable offences) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) have been invoked against the CJP leaders, news agency PTI reported, quoting its sources.