The UN human rights office has expressed concern over mass detentions during large-scale protests in Delhi on Saturday, urging Indian authorities to uphold the right to peaceful assembly and immediately release anyone arbitrarily detained.
India’s Permanent Mission in Geneva rejected the concerns as “misplaced” and an “unwarranted interference” in the country’s internal affairs.
Hundreds of protesters were detained as security forces prevented a planned demonstration by the Gen Z-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) from reaching Jantar Mantar in central Delhi.
The protest was organised to demand electoral reforms and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of voter-list manipulation. The Election Commission and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have denied the allegations.
In a statement on Saturday, UN human rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said the office was concerned by reports of mass detentions involving demonstrators, protest leaders, civil society members, lawyers and journalists before and during the protests.
The UN called on the authorities to ensure that the right to peaceful assembly was fully respected, adding that restrictions on peaceful protests must meet strict tests of necessity and proportionality.
Al-Kheetan also urged law enforcement personnel to exercise “utmost restraint” when dealing with peaceful protesters, in keeping with India’s democratic traditions and human rights obligations.
“All those arbitrarily detained must be immediately and unconditionally released,” he said.
The UN further called on the authorities to engage in meaningful dialogue to address the concerns raised by protesters.
The CJP had planned to hold a demonstration at Jantar Mantar, a prominent protest site in central Delhi. However, Delhi Police denied permission for the gathering, while heavy security arrangements and roadblocks prevented most demonstrators from reaching the venue.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and two other leaders, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were detained shortly after their flight from Mumbai landed in Delhi, the group said. Delhi Police have not publicly commented on their detentions.
Responding to the remarks by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), India’s Permanent Mission in Geneva said the right to peaceful assembly was guaranteed by the Constitution and protected 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 mission said in a social media post.
It maintained that the authorities had acted in accordance with the law and that Indian courts remained accessible to citizens seeking redress for their grievances.
“The OHCHR’s concerns are therefore misplaced and constitute an unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of India,” the mission said.
It also urged the UN rights office to pay comparable attention to large-scale protests elsewhere in the world, arguing that it should adhere to the principles of impartiality and non-selectivity.
The CJP and opposition parties have accused CEC Kumar of favouring the BJP in the revision of electoral rolls. The Election Commission has maintained that its nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a routine exercise intended to remove the names of deceased, duplicate and ineligible voters.
While tens of thousands of people across several states have alleged that their names were wrongly removed from electoral rolls, the Election Commission has denied claims of political interference.
The CJP is a Gen Z-led satirical movement that is not registered as a political party. It emerged in May after its founder, Dipke, posted a question on X in response to the Chief Justice of India likening some unemployed young people to “cockroaches”. The post went viral, giving rise to the movement.
The group gained prominence during weeks of protests over the summer, demanding education reforms and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The demonstrations ended in July after Pradhan resigned.
The CJP has now returned to the streets, demanding electoral reforms and Kumar’s resignation.
The BJP criticised Saturday’s protests, accusing opposition groups associated with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal of attempting to destabilise the country.
BJP president Nitin Nabin alleged that the groups were pursuing their political agendas “at the behest of foreign forces”.
He also accused the opposition of refusing to accept the people’s verdict and attempting to create instability, adding that Indian democracy was strong enough to thwart such efforts.
