India rejects UN experts' claims on protests, calling out selective targeting

India has rejected attempts by United Nations human rights experts to single out the country through unverified claims, warning against the use of rights mechanisms as political pressure against sovereign democracies.

Addressing the UN General Assembly's Third Committee in New York during discussions on enforced disappearances, Barkha Tamrakar, Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, stated that international engagement must adhere strictly to transparency, dialogue, and non-selectivity. New Delhi, she emphasised, opposes efforts to convert unverified assertions or incomplete statistics into a negative characterisation of the world's largest democracy.

What India told the General Assembly

The response followed statements issued in Geneva by more than 20 UN special rapporteurs and experts, who raised concerns over police actions during youth-led demonstrations in New Delhi. The protests were linked to opposition to the Special Intensive Revision electoral roll exercise. India previously dismissed such interventions as unwarranted interference built on hearsay, pointing out that its legal framework provides full recourse for any grievances.

Tamrakar reminded the committee that India possesses comprehensive constitutional and institutional safeguards to prevent abuses and protect fundamental rights. While New Delhi remains ready to address properly documented cases through regular diplomatic channels, she urged delegations not to inflate routine communications into international verdicts.

Financial discipline raised at the Fifth Committee

Alongside defending its governance record, India pressed the UN to address its worsening internal financial crisis. Speaking at the General Assembly's Fifth Committee, Counsellor Surendra Adhana pointed out that unpaid contributions continue to undermine the organisation's operations, with regular budget arrears standing at $1.46 billion and peacekeeping dues reaching $4.1 billion in 2026.

India has remained among the world body's most reliable contributors, paying its regular budget assessment of $35.18 million on time in February 2026 as one of just 55 member states to settle accounts within the mandatory 30-day window.

Demands for accountability

Adhana highlighted that a single member state owes more than 90 percent of the outstanding regular budget assessments, while two nations account for roughly 88 percent of unpaid peacekeeping dues. As a leading contributor to UN peacekeeping missions, India called for the immediate settlement of remaining claims owed to troop-contributing nations, arguing that institutional credibility requires both financial responsibility and impartial governance from international bodies.