Geneva: The Ministry of External Affairs summoned Switzerland’s Ambassador to India Ralf Heckner after some posters and banners accusing the Indian government of violence against minorities were put up outside the United Nations office in Geneva.
In a brief statement, Ralf Heckner said he has conveyed India’s concerns “with all seriousness it deserves” to Switzerland.
The incident came to light after a Twitter user posted a video showing posters kept in an area near the United Nations building. The posters, written in English and French, alleged atrocities against minorities, including Christians and Dalits, in India and blamed the government for “state-sponsored” attacks.
Some of the posters also claimed that women in India are being “treated as slaves” and that “child marriages are a serious violation of child rights in India”.
Earlier, an unidentified official said that Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (West) Sanjay Verma summoned Heckner and raised the issue of what he described as “unfounded and malicious anti-India posters” in Geneva.
The official added that the Swiss ambassador told Verma that the posters were kept in a space “provided to all” but clarified they do not reflect the position of the Swiss government, The Indian Express reported.
The ambassador also added that his government does not endorse the claims made in the posters, according to the official.
Posters often appear on the plaza in front of the United Nations building in Geneva during sessions of the Human Rights Council to attract the attention of arriving officials and ministers. The council is currently hosting its fifty-second session, which started on February 27.
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