India has strongly criticized UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk over his recent statements on Jammu and Kashmir and Manipur, calling them “unfounded and misleading” during the 58th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

During Monday’s session, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Arindam Bagchi, criticized Turk’s remarks, calling them “vague and selectively framed.” He emphasized that India, as the world’s largest democracy, remains a vibrant and pluralistic society, and the concerns raised in the UN report do not align with the ground realities.

India Defends Its Democratic Values

Bagchi highlighted that the people of India have repeatedly proven such misplaced concerns wrong and urged for a better understanding of India’s diverse and open society. He pointed out that references to Jammu and Kashmir in the update were factually incorrect, stating that the region has witnessed significant progress in peace, development, record-breaking tourism, and high election turnouts.

“The global update clearly needs a genuine update,” Bagchi remarked, calling the UN’s approach oversimplified and generalized. He further urged the High Commissioner’s office to reflect on its own biases and reassess its reporting standards.

India’s firm response underscores its rejection of external interference and reinforces its stance on safeguarding national integrity and democratic values.