Can’t forgive violation of law on the pretext of human rights – India’s answer to UNHRC

New Delhi : India on Tuesday reacted sharply to UN Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Beslet’s concern over sanctions on NGOs and alleged arrests of activists, saying violations of the law on the pretext of human rights cannot be forgiven. A better opinion was expected from the United Nations unit on the matter.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Anurag Shrivastava also said that India is a country with democratic system, which is based on rule of law and independent judiciary. He said that we have seen some comments on the issue related to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. India is a democratic system based on the rule of law and judiciary. Legislation is clearly our sovereign prerogative. Violation of law cannot be forgiven under the pretext of human rights.

What did the United Nations human rights say
Earlier, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday expressed concern over the arrest of human rights activists in India and the ban imposed by NGOs on foreign funding. She said that India has a strong civil society that has been at the forefront of supporting human rights in the country and the world, but I am concerned that vaguely defined laws can be used to suppress these (human rights advocates) voices.

Bachelet appealed to the Indian government to protect the rights of human rights defenders and NGOs and their ability to do important work on behalf of their organizations. Bachelet described the use of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) as a concern that bans foreign financial assistance for any activity that is adverse to the public interest.