Lok Sabha Elections 2024: India dismisses UN agency's 'unwarranted' concerns
India's Permanent Representative to the UN Arindam Bagchi | X/@IndiaUNGeneva
India said that the UN Human Rights body's 'concerns' about the country'sLok Sabha Elections 2024 later this summer were'unwarranted'. India's response came during the general debate on the oral update by the UN Human Rights agency'sHigh CommissionerVolker Türk.
Speaking at the55th session of the Human Rights Council, Türk said that India's general elections will be "unique in scale" but added that he was"concerned by increasing restrictions on the civic space – with human rights defenders, journalists and perceived critics targeted – as well as by hate speech and discrimination against minorities, especially Muslims".
India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Arindam Bagchi, said that Türk's concerns about India's electionsare "unwarranted and do not reflect the reality of the largest democracy in the world."
"In any democracy, argumentation is natural. It is imperative that those in positions of authority do not allow their judgement to be clouded by propaganda," Bagchi added.
Referring to the nature of India's democratic polity, Bagchi said that the country's constitutional values are backed by"fiercely independent institutions, including a robust judiciary, that aim to protect the rights of all."
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
"Our electoral process has been characterised by a high degree of people’s participation and full faith in the electoral mandate by all. In fact, we are privileged that many across the world seek to learn from our experience and aspire to emulate it," Bagchi added.
Also watch |Unravelling performance of Indian economy before and after polls
In the past years, the effectiveness of India's Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for speedy voting process has garnered accolades across the world.
"We have no doubt that as in numerous occasions in the past, the Indian people will freely exercise their vote to choose a government that they believe can best give voice and flight to their aspirations," Bagchi said.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third term in a row during the upcoming General Elections. His Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance is up against the Congress-party-led Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance. (I.N.D.I.A).