India, on 4 May, said it is a secular state with no state religion and safeguarding the rights of minorities forms an essential core of its polity, as it came under criticism from Pakistan over treatment of minorities.
Speaking at the 27th session of the Universal Periodic Review Working Group at the UNHCR in Geneva, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said that the Indian Constitution enshrines various provisions for the protection of the rights and interests of minorities.
Rohatgi, who led the Indian delegation at the UN Human Rights Council, said India makes no distinction between caste, creed, colour or religion of a citizen.
“India is a secular state with no state religion,” he said, adding that the Indian constitution guarantees freedom of religion to every individual.
He said the right to free speech and expression occupies its rightful place in the core of the Indian Constitution. Rohatgi told the member states:
As the world’s largest multi-layered democracy, we fully recognise the importance of free speech and expression. Our people are conscious of their political freedoms and exercise their choices at every opportunity.
The Pakistan delegation raked up the Kashmir issue and demanded a ban on the use of pellet guns by Indian security forces. It also asked India to allow a UNHRC fact-finding team to visit Kashmir and review the situation.
It also raised the issue of "mob violence" against Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and Dalits in India.
(With PTI inputs)
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