The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday responded to the concerns expressed by United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Miche...
The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday responded to the concerns expressed by United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet about the amendments made to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, and said that violations of law “cannot be condoned under the pretext of human rights”. Foreign ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said he expected a more nuanced view on the matter from a UN body.
The UN Human Rights Committee oversees the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, of which India is a party.
“We have seen some comments by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on an issue relating to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA),” Srivastava said in a statement. “India is a democratic polity based on the rule of law and an independent judiciary. The framing of laws is obviously a sovereign prerogative. Violations of law, however, cannot be condoned under the pretext of human rights. A more informed view of the matter was expected of a UN body.”
Bachelet on Tuesday said she was worried that the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act was being used to deter or punish human rights organisations that are critical of the government. She further noted the action against Amnesty International India last month.
On September 29, Amnesty...
