New Delhi UN mission’s statement on UP rape, murder ‘unwarranted’: India

India has described the remarks of the UN resident coordinator in New Delhi that the alleged rape and murder in Hathras and Balrampur in Uttar Pradesh "are a reminder that those from disadvantaged social groups are at greater risk of gender-based violence" as "unwarranted".

Anurag Srivastava, spokesperson of the country's external affairs ministry, said, "Since the investigation process is still underway, any unnecessary comments by an external agency are best avoided."

In response to media query on the UN resident coordinator's statement of October 4, Anurag Srivastava said "Some unwarranted comments have been made by the UN Resident Coordinator regarding some recent cases of violence against women.

"UN resident coordinator in India should be aware that these cases have been taken extremely seriously by the government. Since the investigation process is still underway, any unnecessary comments by an external agency are best avoided. The Constitution guarantees equality to all citizens of India. As a democracy we have a time-tested record of providing justice to all sections of our society," Srivastava continued.

The UN mission in India in the statement had referred to the incidents of alleged rape and murder in Hathras and Balarampur in UP and said, "These are another reminder that despite the impressive progress made on a number of social indicators, women and girls from disadvantaged social groups face additional vulnerabilities and are at greater risk of gender-based violence."

The UN Mission in New Delhi said the steps being taken by the Indian government to strengthen safety measures for women and girls are welcome and urgent and that "We support the Prime Minister's call for strict action against the culprits."

"Entrenched social norms and behaviour of men and boys that lead to gender-based violence must be addressed," the mission added.