India abstains on vote to suspend Russia from UN Human Rights Council

UNITED NATIONS, (PTI): India on Thursday abstained in the UN General Assembly on a vote moved by the US to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council over allegations that Russian soldiers killed civilians while retreating from towns near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.

The 193-member UN General Assembly voted to adopt the resolution suspending Russia from the world body’s top human rights organisation. The draft received 93 votes in favour, 24 against and 58 abstentions. Russia stands suspended from the Human Rights Council. “India has abstained on the resolution with regard to suspension of the Russian Federation from the Human Rights Council adopted in the General Assembly today. We do so for reasons of both substance and process,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti said in the Explanation of Vote after the voting.

”Since the inception of the Ukrainian conflict, India has stood for peace, dialogue and diplomacy. We believe that no solution can be arrived at by shedding blood and at the cost of innocent lives. If India has chosen any side, it is the side of peace and it is for an immediate end to violence,” he said.

Since January this year, India has abstained on procedural votes and draft resolutions in the UN Security Council, the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council that deplored Russian aggression against Ukraine. New Delhi had on Tuesday unequivocally condemned the “deeply disturbing” reports of civilian killings in the Ukrainian city of Bucha and supported the call for an independent investigation, as it underlined that when innocent human lives are at stake, diplomacy must prevail as the only viable option.

Tirumurti said India continues to remain deeply concerned at the worsening situation and reiterates its call for end to all hostilities. “When innocent human lives are at stake, diplomacy must prevail as the only viable option,” he said. He reiterated that recent reports of civilian killings in Bucha are deeply disturbing. “We have unequivocally condemned these killings and support the call for an independent investigation.” (PTI)