India objects to UN's slur on its approach to Rohingya crisis

A day after UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein called India's position on the Rohingya issue "textbook example of ethnic cleansing", India's Permanent Representative to the UN Rajiv K Chander responded by saying that there was "inadequate appreciation" of the freedom that the Indian democracy guarantees.

Saying that India was "perplexed" at some of the observations made by the High Commissioner in his oral update, Chander wrote that India was worried about the security threats that illegal migrants pose, and that enforcing a law "should not be mistaken for lack of compassion."

"There appears to be inadequate appreciation of the freedoms and rights that are guaranteed and practised daily in a vibrant democracy built under challenging conditions," wrote Chander. "Tendentious judgements made on the basis of selective and even inaccurate reports do not further the understanding of human rights in any society."

Chander also wrote that India will adopt "a large number of recommendations" from the Universal Periodic Review.

He also wrote that the Indian government's motto of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas" promotes inclusive development and that " individual incidents are being extrapolated to suggest a broader societal situation."