India on Saturday rejected concerns raised by the United Nations human rights office over the detention of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) supporters. New Delhi called the remarks "unwarranted interference in the country's internal affairs". India’s UN mission issued a strong statement on X. It said the OHCHR had misplaced its concerns. It also urged the UN body to pay similar attention to "large-scale" protests in other countries. "India is the world's largest democracy, where the right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed by our Constitution and safeguarded by robust institutions, an independent judiciary, and a free media," the statement said. India also defended its rules on public demonstrations. It said democratic countries allow peaceful protests but impose reasonable restrictions to maintain public order. "As in every democracy, Indian citizens exercise this right subject to reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order. The authorities, for their part, act in accordance with the law, and our courts remain available to all for the redressal of any grievances," it added.

We have seen the OHCHR’s remarks about today’s events in New Delhi.

India is the world’s largest democracy, where the right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed by our Constitution and safeguarded by robust institutions, an independent judiciary and a free media. As in every democracy, Indian citizens exercise this right subject to reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order. The authorities, for their part, act in accordance with the law, and our courts remain available to all for redressal of any grievances. The OHCHR’s concerns are therefore misplaced and constitute an unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of India. In this context, OHCHR would also do well to devote comparable attention to large-scale protests elsewhere, consistent with its mandate of impartiality and non-selectivity. @MEAIndia @IndianDiplomacy @PMOIndia @DrSJaishankar @abagchimea — India at UN, Geneva (@IndiaUNGeneva) October 10, 2026

The statement followed the detention of nearly 3,000 people in Delhi. Those detained included CJP leaders, party supporters and opposition leaders. They had attempted to reach Jantar Mantar to protest and demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

What Did the UN Say About the Detentions?

Delhi Police tightened security across the capital ahead of the planned demonstrations. Authorities imposed restrictions on transport services, including the Delhi Metro, buses and railways. The measures aimed to control the movement of CJP supporters into the city. The detentions prompted the UN human rights office to express concern. UN human rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan highlighted reports of mass arrests before and during the demonstrations. The spokesperson said the office was "concerned by reports of mass detentions in India of demonstrators, protest leaders, members of civil society organisations, lawyers and journalists, before and during today's large-scale demonstrations in Delhi." The UN called on Indian authorities to protect the right to peaceful assembly. "We call on the authorities to ensure that the right to peaceful assembly is fully respected and fulfilled," it said, adding, "Restrictions on peaceful protests must meet strict tests of necessity and proportionality." Al-Kheetan also urged police and other law enforcement personnel to exercise "utmost restraint" when dealing with peaceful protesters. The spokesperson further called on the authorities to "engage in meaningful dialogue to address the broadly held concerns expressed".

India Pushes Back Against UN Remarks

India quickly rejected the UN body's concerns. New Delhi argued that the remarks crossed the line into interference in the country's domestic affairs. "The OHCHR's concerns are misplaced and constitute an unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of India. In this context, the OHCHR would also do well to devote comparable attention to large-scale protests elsewhere, consistent with its mandate of impartiality and non-selectivity," the statement said. India also questioned the consistency of the UN body's approach. It urged the OHCHR to examine large-scale protests in other countries with the same level of attention.

Delhi Police Denies Permission for CJP Protest

The dispute followed Delhi Police's decision to reject the CJP's application to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar. The group wanted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign. Police detained the group's founder and two other leaders, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, on Saturday morning. Officers took action shortly after their flight from Mumbai landed in Delhi. Security personnel also detained thousands of other people as protesters tried to gather in the capital. Police later released most of those detained. However, senior CJP leaders and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee remained among those reportedly in custody. The incident has sparked a dispute between India and the UN human rights office. The two sides have taken different positions on the police response, restrictions on public demonstrations and the role of international organisations in raising human rights concerns.