India on Wednesday rejected as “politically motivated” and “highly malicious” references in a report by a UN racial discrimination panel on the alleged targeting of Rohingya, Bengali-speaking Muslims, migrants and asylum-seekers following a 2017 Home Ministry order and the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack.Responding to media queries on the findings of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India had participated in the treaty body’s review in a “spirit of constructive engagement” and would respond to the observations through the established procedure.The 11th periodic review was held in Geneva on August 11 and 12. India’s delegation was led by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.“India rejects any politically motivated and highly malicious references in the report with all the contempt that they deserve,” Jaiswal said.He said India, which had played a leading role in negotiating and drafting the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) in the 1960s, remained committed to combating racial discrimination.During the review, the Indian delegation highlighted constitutional safeguards, the country’s legal framework, pluralistic ethos and efforts to protect disadvantaged communities, Jaiswal said.He added that the delegation had already rejected “sweeping generalisations, unsubstantiated allegations and the tendency to exceed the Convention’s mandate” during the Geneva proceedings.The sharp Indian response came a day after CERD flagged an alleged increase in law-enforcement operations targeting Rohingya, Bengali-speaking Muslims, migrants and asylum-seekers, particularly following the 2017 Home Ministry order and the Pahalgam attack.The committee expressed concern over alleged racial profiling during police stops and identity checks, arbitrary arrests and detention, and torture and ill-treatment. It also raised concerns over deportations and the forcible return of people requiring international protection, citing the principle of non-refoulement.The panel urged India to address discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes against these groups, refrain from collective expulsions and ensure access to international protection.Jaiswal said India’s Mission in Geneva had already issued a detailed response following the CERD review.