India Rejects UN Rapporteurs’ Claims on Youth Protests, Calls Report ‘Hearsay Dressed as Report’
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Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
India has rejected allegations made by United Nations special rapporteurs over the handling of youth protests, describing their claims as unsubstantiated and criticising the report for relying on hearsay rather than verified information.
The government pushed back against the allegations, disputing the account presented by the UN experts and questioning the basis on which their concerns about protests and the treatment of young demonstrators were raised.
India Cites Constitutional Safeguards
Speaking at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly’s Third Committee in New York, First Secretary Anuj Swarup said India’s Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and expression, peaceful assembly and association under Article 19.
He also cited the role of the independent judiciary, free press and National Human Rights Commission in protecting these rights.
What Did the UN Rapporteur Claim?
UN Special Rapporteur Gina Romero’s report alleged that young people in India faced retaliation or stigma for discussing issues such as mental health and gender justice.
Swarup objected to the report’s reliance on unnamed submissions, arguing that anonymous and unverified allegations could not support sweeping conclusions about India’s youth population.
He said the report risked undermining the credibility of UN institutions and urged the rapporteur to verify claims before drawing conclusions.
Government Points to Youth Protests and Dialogue
Swarup also challenged the report’s assessment of civic space for young people, pointing to youth-led political movements, public demonstrations and meetings between young representatives and senior government leaders.
He referred to the Cockroach Janta Party’s protests and subsequent engagement with Union ministers, arguing that such developments showed young people could question the government and participate in political debate.
He also cited government engagement with students over alleged irregularities in public examinations and the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue, which he said had brought together more than five million young people to discuss national priorities.
