India has described the concerns raised by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) regarding the detention of hundreds of the Cockroach Janta Party’s supporters as “unwarranted interference in the country’s internal affairs”.
In a strongly worded statement, New Delhi posted on its India at UN account on X, saying OHCHR’s concerns were misplaced and that the UN body should devote its attention to “large-scale” protests 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.
We have seen the OHCHR’s remarks about today’s events in New Delhi. 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 redressal of any grievances. The OHCHR’s concerns are therefore misplaced and constitute an unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of India. In this context, OHCHR would also do well to devote comparable attention to large-scale protests elsewhere, consistent with its mandate of impartiality and non-selectivity. @MEAIndia @IndianDiplomacy @PMOIndia @DrSJaishankar @abagchimea
— India at UN, Geneva (@IndiaUNGeneva) October 10, 2026
Nearly 3,000 people, including CJP leaders, supporters, and opposition leaders, were detained by the Delhi Police as they attempted to reach Jantar Mantar to launch a sit-in protest seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The police imposed curbs on the internet and transportation links, including the Delhi Metro, buses, and railways, to stem the flow of CJP supporters who were attempting to pour into the national capital.
In a statement on Saturday, UN human rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said the office was “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”.
“We call on the authorities to ensure that the right to peaceful assembly is fully respected and fulfilled,” it said, adding, “Restrictions on peaceful protests must meet strict tests of necessity and proportionality.”
Al-Kheetan urged New Delhi to ensure that law enforcement personnel exercise “utmost restraint” in responding to peaceful protesters. The official also advised the authorities to “engage in meaningful dialogue to address the broadly held concerns expressed”.
New Delhi took exception to the UN’s comments.
“The OHCHR’s concerns are misplaced and constitute an unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of India. In this context, the OHCHR would also do well to devote comparable attention to large-scale protests elsewhere, consistent with its mandate of impartiality and non-selectivity,” it said.
The Delhi Police had rejected the pressure group’s application for permission to protest at Jantar Mantar. On Saturday morning, the founder, Abhijeet Dipke, and two other leaders, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were detained shortly after their flight from Mumbai landed in Delhi.
Most of those detained by the police were released, except for the CJP top brass and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee.
