NEWS

India slammed the UN high commissioner for human rights office on Thursday for making "baseless and unfounded" allegations against Indian forces in J&K, asking it to develop a better understanding of the negative impact of terrorism on human rights.

The government said that the statement by the spokesperson of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) "betrayed a complete lack of understanding" on the part of the UN body of the security challenges faced by India from cross-border terrorism and its impact on the "most fundamental human right, the right to life, of our citizens, including in Jammu & Kashmir".

Referring to proscribed terrorist organisations as armed groups demonstrated a clear bias on the part of the OHCHR, the foreign ministry said.

The 'Mehangai Hatao Rally' by the Congress, which was scheduled to be held in Delhi on December 12, has now been shifted to Jaipur after permission for holding the rally at Dwarka was allegedly cancelled. Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal alleged that the cancellation of the permission shows a "prejudiced conspiracy" by the Modi government.

Through the mega rally, the Congress looks to corner the Narendra Modi-led government over inflation and price rise. The 'Mehangai Hatao Rally' will be addressed by Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and other Congress leaders from across the country.

India on Thursday said the decision of Pakistan authorities to upgrade Skardu airport and make it operational for international flights would be “interference in India’s internal matters”.

“I would not like to speak about any specific development in detail. You know our position and stand on Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). It is an interference in our internal matters,” an MEA spokesman Arindam Bagchi told reporters here in the weekly briefing.

“We do not accept this. I will not make any comment on one specific development”.

He, however, said – “I don’t want to comment on any specific development except that our position over this has been clear”.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee targeted the Congress on Wednesday saying “what is UPA, there is no UPA now” amid signs that her party is opposed to a Congress-led opposition front to take on the NDA.

Banerjee also took a swipe at the Congress leadership saying politics required continuous endeavour, “if you are going abroad to enjoy, how will people trust you”. She said only those politicians can take on the BJP who know ground realities. “We have done it in West Bengal,” she said. Though Banerjee did not name a party or a person, observers said the comments came in response to a question about the role of the Congress.