India has accused the UN human rights office of double standards and interference in its internal affairs after it raised concerns over mass detentions during protests in New Delhi, asking the global body to show the same scrutiny towards demonstrations and police action elsewhere.The strong response underscores New Delhi’s objection to international scrutiny of its handling of domestic protests, with the government insisting that such matters must be assessed within India’s constitutional and legal framework.In two sharply worded responses on Saturday and Jattvibeday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and India’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva rejected the remarks by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), maintaining that the right to peaceful assembly was constitutionally guaranteed and that law enforcement agencies acted within the law.“The OHCHR’s concerns are therefore unwarranted and constitute an unacceptable interference in the internal affairs of India,” the MEA said on Jattvibeday, accusing the UN body of “extreme selectivity” in its public positions.It alleged that violent responses to protests in India’s neighbourhood, as well as law enforcement actions in the OHCHR’s own vicinity, had gone uncommented. “Such double standards only erode the credibility of its standing and contribute to the loss of faith in multilateralism,” it said.The diplomatic exchange follows the OHCHR’s expression of concern over reports of mass detentions of demonstrators, protest leaders, civil society members, lawyers and journalists before and during large-scale protests in Delhi on Saturday.The UN office urged Indian authorities to respect the right to peaceful assembly and immediately and unconditionally release anyone arbitrarily detained.The protests were organised by the Cockroach Janta Party and other groups demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in electoral roll revisions. The controversy has centred on claims that voter-list changes disproportionately affected minority voters, allegations denied by the ruling BJP and the Election Commission.India’s Permanent Mission in Geneva had earlier described the OHCHR’s concerns as “misplaced” and “unwarranted interference” in the country’s internal affairs. It said the Constitution guaranteed peaceful assembly, subject to reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order, and that citizens could approach courts for redressal of grievances.The mission also urged the OHCHR to devote “comparable attention to large-scale protests elsewhere”, in keeping with its stated mandate of impartiality and non-selectivity.Reiterating the government’s position, the MEA said India’s democratic rights were safeguarded by robust institutions, an independent judiciary and a free media, while law enforcement authorities acted in accordance with the law.