India has pushed back sharply against the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, dismissing its observations as politically driven and deeply hostile toward New Delhi.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the comments came after the United Nations committee completed its 11th review of India's compliance with the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, held in Geneva on Aug. 11 and 12.
India said the review was a routine treaty-body process and that it had participated in the discussions in a spirit of constructive engagement.
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The government also reiterated its longstanding commitment to combating racial discrimination, noting that India had played a leading role in negotiating and drafting the convention in the 1960s.
During the review, India highlighted its constitutional safeguards, legal framework, pluralistic character and measures aimed at protecting disadvantaged communities.
However, the government said its inter-ministerial delegation, led by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, had already rejected what it termed sweeping generalisations, unsubstantiated allegations and attempts to go beyond the committee's mandate.
“We have seen the press release issued by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in response to media queries.
He said, “India rejects any politically motivated highly malicious references in the report with all the contempt that it deserves.”
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India said it would respond to the committee's observations through the established procedure.
It also pointed to a detailed statement issued by its mission in Geneva following the review.
The government made clear that while it remained committed to engaging with international treaty mechanisms, it would not accept what it considered politically driven assessments concerning India's record on racial discrimination.
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