The Indian government has rejected concerns raised by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) over alleged discrimination and rights violations by law enforcement agencies.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday described references in the committee’s observations as “politically motivated” and “highly malicious.”
The UN committee had raised concerns over alleged targeting of Rohingya refugees, Bengali-speaking Muslims, migrants and asylum-seekers in India.
UN Committee Raises Concerns Over Police Actions
CERD said it was “gravely concerned” about reports of violations allegedly committed by law enforcement agencies against ethnic and religious minorities, Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and non-citizens.
The committee referred to allegations of racial profiling, excessive use of force, arbitrary detention, torture, ill-treatment and extrajudicial killings.
It urged India to ensure that such allegations are investigated promptly and impartially and that those responsible are held accountable.
The panel also raised concerns about an alleged increase in law enforcement operations targeting Rohingya, Bengali-speaking Muslims, migrants and asylum-seekers, particularly after a 2017 Home Ministry order and the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack.
CERD said identity checks and police stops based on alleged racial profiling had reportedly resulted in arrests and detention.
India Calls Report ‘Highly Malicious’
Responding to the observations, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India had participated in the review process in a “spirit of constructive engagement.”
He said the Indian delegation had highlighted the country’s constitutional safeguards, legal framework, pluralistic character, affirmative action programmes and judicial remedies.
“While we will respond to the Committee’s observations through the established procedure, the inter-Ministerial delegation, which was led by the Solicitor General… Tushar Mehta, had already rejected the sweeping generalisations, unsubstantiated allegations, or tendency to exceed the Convention’s mandate during the review meeting,” Jaiswal said.
The MEA added that “India rejects any politically motivated highly malicious references in the report with all the contempt that it deserves.”
Concerns Follow Actions Against Bengali-Speaking Muslims
The UN committee’s observations come after several government measures targeting suspected undocumented migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar.
In May 2025, following the Pahalgam terror attack, the Union Home Ministry directed states and Union Territories to verify the credentials of people suspected of being undocumented migrants from the two countries.
Police operations in several states subsequently involved detaining Bengali-speaking people, many of them Muslims, and asking them to establish their Indian citizenship.
CERD also raised concerns over the deportation or forced return of people seeking international protection. It urged India to avoid collective expulsions and respect the principle of non-refoulement, which prevents returning people to places where they could face serious threats to their rights.
