Thiruvananthapuram, India

Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Thursday (Apr 4) dismissed remarks made by a United Nations official over the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections, saying that he does not need to hear from the world body over a "free and fair" elections process. 

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This comes after a spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General said in a statement that they "hope" that in India, people's "political and civil rights" were protected and everyone is able to vote in a "free and fair" atmosphere. 

Jaishankar was in Thiruvananthapuram when he said, "I don't need the United Nations to tell me our elections should be free & fair. I have the people of India. The people of India will ensure that elections are free & fair. So, don't worry about it." 

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The foreign minister was campaigning for his ministerial colleague and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar in the Lok Sabha polls. 

During the interaction with the reporters, Jaishankar said that the UN official made the comment on the Indian elections last week in response to a "very loaded question" during a press briefing at the UN. 

Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, was asked last week about the "political unrest" in India ahead of the upcoming national elections. 

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The questions were in connection to the latest political development in the capital as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested. The UN official was also asked about the opposition Congress Party's bank accounts. 

"What we very much hope that in India, as in any country that is having elections, that everyone's rights are protected, including political and civil rights, and everyone is able to vote in an atmosphere that is free and fair," Dujarric had said.

(With inputs from agencies)