India rejects ‘politically motivated, highly malicious references’ in remarks by UNCERD

India on Wednesday (August 26, 2026) rejected observations made by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (UNCERD), calling them “politically motivated” and “extremely malicious”.

The response, from the Ministry of Exterior Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, comes after the UN Committee raised considerations about “experiences of large-scale violations perpetrated by legislation enforcement officers in opposition to ethnic and ethno-religious teams, Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, together with Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, notably Dalits, and non-citizens.”

In a press word that referred to as for addressing “hate speech” and “hate crimes” in India, the Committee had stated that there was a rise in incidents in opposition to the Bengali-speaking Muslims and referred to as on the Authorities of India to “guarantee accountability” for these violations.

In an official assertion, the MEA famous that it has taken word of the remarks launched by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination following India’s eleventh periodic assessment underneath ICERD, carried out in Geneva on August 11-12.

 The Authorities of India had despatched Solicitor Common Tushar Mehta because the Head of the Indian Delegation for the assessment.

The MEA clarified that the train constituted a routine treaty-body assessment, during which India participated in a spirit of constructive engagement. It pressured that India’s dedication to combating racial discrimination stays agency and unwavering.

All through the assessment course of, India underscored its constitutional safeguards, complete authorized framework, pluralistic ethos, and steady efforts directed at safeguarding deprived communities.

“Whereas we’ll reply to the Committee’s observations via the established process, the inter-Ministerial delegation, which was led by the Solicitor Common of India, Shri Tushar Mehta, had already rejected the sweeping generalisations, unsubstantiated allegations, or tendency to exceed the Conference’s mandate throughout the assessment assembly,” the MEA said.

“India rejects any politically motivated extremely malicious references within the report with all of the contempt that it deserves,” the Ministry added.

India’s twelfth and twenty first mixed periodic experiences submitted to CERD

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) capabilities as an impartial professional panel tasked with monitoring the implementation of the Conference on the Elimination of All Types of Racial Discrimination throughout its States events.

The current assessment, carried out on August 11-12, encompassed India’s twelfth and twenty first mixed periodic experiences submitted to CERD in 2023. Deliberations addressed numerous issues, together with the executive framework for implementing ICERD, progress achieved by marginalised teams, and coverage interventions to counter prejudice and intolerance, based on a press release by the Everlasting Mission of India in Geneva.

“The Indian delegation highlighted our pluralism; range; scale and complexity; constitutional and authorized framework and safeguards; affirmative actions, democratic accountability; judicial treatments; focused public coverage; and sustained socio-economic growth, as we proceed our journey in direction of making certain equality, dignity and alternative for all Indians,” the official assertion famous.

With ANI inputs